Starting Over
by DauntlessDuo
Summary: After being expelled from school for standing up to a friend, Tris Prior is forced to move from Chicago to a small coastal town with her Aunt Tori on the West Coast. Being constantly kept under close watch her whole life, Tris is hoping for a new life in California. Will she get the fresh start she's been looking for? THIS IS A FOURTRIS FANFIC! DAUNTLESSDUO HERE TO BLOW YOUR MIND!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey people! So this fanfic is another one of those high school fanfics... (yeah, I know, real original, right?) I know there are a bazillion out there but we're trying to add some twists to it to make it a little different! And, yes, when I say 'we' I mean that there are two people writing this! (Makes the name DauntlessDUO make sense right?!) So yeah, we're super excited to write this fanfic for you guys and we're each good at writing different things, so with the two of us combined we're hoping to make a super awesome fanfic! Our original accounts are iDivergence and DauntlessFlames46 and we each have a fanfic up there if you wanted to go check them out. Oh and we promise our authors notes won't usually be this long. See you at the bottom!**

**Tris POV:**

I throw in my last shirt into a small black suitcase. My brother, Caleb, is leaning on my door frame.

"Are you going to miss me, Caleb?" I ask as I zip up the suitcase. He ponders over the question, like he always does, and finally answers.

"Yeah." He says. "I'm going to miss having someone to hang out with at lunch. However, I'm pretty sure that I can have your room when you leave so it's a fair trade." He smirks. Neither of us really have friends, so we sat together at lunch often.

I roll my eyes and smile. I'm really going to miss him.

I quickly scan my room for any missed belongings. My mother told me to only bring what's necessary with me to the small coastal town that my aunt lives in.

I have to move in with my Aunt Tori who lives a tiny, no name town on the West coast because I got expelled from my school.

_-Flashback-_

_"Beatrice Prior, when I give a friend of yours detention, it is not your job to talk back to me and defend them! That just lands you in even more trouble than you were in before!" my math teacher yells at me._

_"You were giving her a detention for no reason! Why you would even think that forgetting to bring a pencil to class is a valid reason to give out a detention is beyond me!" I retort, using my usual approach to an angry teacher: don't break eye contact or look/act intimidated. The only way that a teacher has the power is if they think you're scared of them. If you look completely sure of yourself, it automatically makes them less confident. This was an approach I discovered back in middle school and have used ever since._

_"I can give detentions for whatever reasons I want, whether you think it's valid or not. Not get out before I assign you a two weeks' worth of detention instead of just one!"_

_I storm out of the classroom angrily, slamming the door behind me. Just when I'm almost out of the school, I hear voices coming from the locker room._

_"You little bitch! You think that you can go sleep with my boyfriend and get away with it?! Not on my watch!" I hear a voice that I recognize to be Amber yell._

_I almost walk away because something like this happens pretty much every week. It's only what I hear next that stops me. Susan, my only friend here, speaks in a panicked voice. "I didn't sleep with him! I would never-"  
I hear a punch being thrown and Susan cries out in pain. I'm not going to just stand here and witness this happening from a distance!_

_I sprint over to the locker room and grab Amber's arm from behind, twisting it until she lets out a scream. Before she can make another move to hurt me this time, I punch her in the temple and she starts to wobble. She looks a little dizzy and throws a lazy punch at my side. I manage to block that one but don't notice that she brings her knee up right afterwards. Her knee collides with my gut and I let out a small moan in pain. Quickly, I punch her temple again and she falls to the ground, unable to keep herself steady anymore. I kick her one last time in the side and pull Susan out of the room as fast as I can. She gives me a look of gratitude and thanks me repeatedly._

_"Its fine, you're welcome. Uh, can you just do me a favor and not mention this to anyone? I don't want it turning into something bigger than it really it," I say._

_"Of course, anything, I don't know how I could ever thank you," Susan babbles._

_"Don't worry about it; just... please don't mention it. That's all."_

_Susan thanks me again and we both get into our cars to drive home._

_-End Flashback-_

Not telling was a pretty stupid thing to do. The next day, I had gotten got called to the principal's office. Amber had reported a false story to get back at me for beating the crap out of her. Since I hadn't said anything about what happened and there aren't cameras in the locker room, they automatically assumed it was me who started it. Plus, I only had a bruise on my stomach and Amber had multiple bruises all over her body, what reason would they have to believe that it wasn't me?

So now, I'll be moving across the country from Chicago to a little town in North California that I still haven't bothered to learn the name of.

I pick up my last suitcase off of my bed, struggling to lift it. Caleb immediately comes over and carries it to the car for me. Caleb is just like my mother, incredibly selfless. I, however, am nothing like either of my parents. I am selfish and sarcastic.

I walk into the kitchen for the last time until I finish high school. I was just about to finish sophomore year but since I got expelled, I have the remainder of sophomore year and then a whole summer until junior year. I see my mother cooking breakfast.

"Hey mom." I say while taking a seat at the kitchen table. My train doesn't leave for another hour.

"Hello sweetie," My mother says with a smile. "I'm sorry your father won't be at the train station to see you off. He picked up an extra shift this morning." I really don't mind. Ever since my father practically disowned me, we barely talk. I won't miss him at all.

"It's fine." I assure her. "So when are we leaving for the station?" I pick up an apple from the bowl in the center of the table and take a bite.

"About 30 minutes." My mother replies. I don't have anything left to say, so I say nothing. My mother doesn't add anything to keep up a conversation and the silence is becoming awkward. Just then, Caleb walks through the front door.

"I finished loading up the car." He says while taking a seat across from me. 27 minutes left.

"Thank you." My mother says while setting down a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. I take another bite of my apple. Even though it may seem odd, I don't like bacon and have never been fond of eggs. Oh well.

My mother sits down with her breakfast. We eat in silence just like every other meal. I've always hated the silence that filled this house. I want to be able to speak freely at the dinner table without being scolded by my father. Apparently, it's respectful for children to not speak, only listen, during meals. But I'm not a child. I am sixteen years old and ready to ditch this quiet life. For living in the bustling city of Chicago, my life is rather boring. I can't wait to get out of here. 22 minutes left.

After I finish picking at the core of my apple, I throw it away and excuse myself from the table. I head to my bedroom for the last time. I should feel nostalgic about my room or this house, but I don't. There's only one thought that I can't seem to shake from my head, "_I'm almost out. I'm almost free. I'm almost done."_

All that's left in my room is my stripped bed and a bookshelf. The stark white walls remind me of an insane asylum. And I'm about to be let out. 17 minutes left.

I lay down on my mattress, thinking. What will my life be like? Will I make friends? Will I have my first boyfriend? Will I be popular? I have no clue. And I can't wait to find out.

I have fifteen minutes until my mother, brother, and I will head to the train station. I walk into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

I already packed my hair brush, beauty supplies, and other essentials so I just run my fingers through my hair until there aren't any knots left. My dull blonde hair falls over my shoulders in smooth waves. In no way am I pretty, but at least I don't have horrible, frizzy hair. "_Way to look on the bright side."_ I think to myself. I'm pretty satisfied with my outfit, a black T-shirt with the band name 'Imagine Dragons' printed across it and dark blue jeans. I throw on my Converse sneakers and walk back to the kitchen. 8 minutes left.

My mother is holding an old photo book and a box of tissues. "I just…I'm going to miss you so much Beatrice." My mother says through tears.

"I'll miss you too mom." I lie. I won't miss either my mother or father. I feel bad that I won't miss my own parents, but it still doesn't change the fact that I won't. The only person that I'm leaving behind that I will miss is Caleb. And again, I fall short of something comforting to say to my mother. So I just sit in silence while she tries to compose herself. 6 minutes left.

I wonder what my life will be like.

_5 minutes left_.

I wonder how it will be living with my aunt.

_4 minutes left._

I wonder who my friends will be.

_3 minutes left._

I wonder if I'm going to have one of those 'summer romances'.

_2 minutes left._

Wait, I think I forgot something! I stand up from the table and race to my room. I pull the bookshelf back from the wall a few feet and find it. I pick up the small box and open it. Inside is a gold necklace that is shaped like the outline of a fire. On the back the words 'Be Brave' are carved. It was a gift from Caleb. It's not exactly girly which is great, neither am I, but it holds so much significance. I quickly undo the clasp and put on the necklace. I lift up the charm and put it underneath my shirt and out of sight.

"Beatrice! We have to go!" I hear Caleb yell.

_Zero minutes left._

I run out of my room and to the car. As I buckle my seat belt, my brother slides into the driver's seat. Caleb is ten months older than I am, so he's had his license longer and feels he is entitled to the car more than I am, and wanted to drive me to the station even though I'm perfectly capable of driving myself. I remember back to when he convinced me to let him drive.

_-Flashback-_

_"I can drive myself, Caleb" I say calmly. "I'm a big girl."_

_"Beatrice. I'm not going to just let you leave by yourself. I'm driving you and mom to the station." He says authoritatively._

_"We can say goodbye at the house! You don't need to take me." I say, getting a little frustrated._

_"But then the car will be left at the train station and we won't be able to get it once you leave." He says. Crap. He's right._

_I let out a sigh and give in. "Fine, Caleb. Just don't cry or anything when we get there." I say with a smirk._

_-End Flashback-_

"Excited?" My brother laughs. I realize that I'm still out of breath from running out to the car.

"You have no idea." I mumble while slowly tracing the charm of my necklace through my shirt with my finger. My mother finally walks out of the house and collapses into the passenger seat. She's a wreck. As soon as she buckles her seatbelt, Caleb pulls out of the driveway and starts towards the train station.

It's really happening. I'm finally free. I can start over. I can be happy.

xXx

Caleb pulls into a parking space about 20 feet from the train platform. I hop out of the car and walk to the trunk. I start to unload my stuff, which isn't much, and lift it onto the side walk. Caleb comes to help me and we're done within minutes. My mother is standing on the curb crying again. I walk up to her and she pulls me into her embrace.

"Mom," I choke out. "Mom…can't breathe…"

"Oh!" She exclaims and lets me go. "Sorry! I'm really going to miss you, Beatrice."

"Me too, mom." I lie. "I'll call you." She nods and checks her watch.

"We should get your things onto the train. We don't have much time." She says, still looking at her watch.

Caleb, my mother, and I pick up all of my bags and carry them over to the luggage car of the train. As we hand them over to the man in charge of getting everyone's stuff onto the train, Caleb hands him some money and the man nods in thanks.

I turn to face my family, or at least the ones that decided to come with me, and hug them. They hug me back and we form this big, awkward group hug. I pull away quickly and kiss my mother on the cheek. I get in line to board the train. I look back and Caleb is hugging my mother, who yet again is crying. Caleb's eyes meet my own and he gives me a small smile. I smile back and walk up the steps to freedom.

The train will take me to my aunt's house, the only member of my family that was considerate enough to take me in. Tori, as she insists I call her, is the tattoo artist at a popular hair salon that also offers tattoos to people. She's rarely ever home so I'll have the house to myself most of the time and I'm grateful for that. It'll give me the chance to have some freedom, something that I didn't experience at home. My parents, especially my dad, were always extremely strict when it came to curfew and things so I wasn't allowed to do anything fun. Here, I'll be able to do pretty much whatever I want whenever I want without a problem because Tori doesn't care and she's never home anyways.

I finally find Compartment B46. Tori paid for my trip and she refused to take a cheaper option. At first I felt bad for having her pay for so much, but now, sitting in the comfortable cushion seats that are enclosed in the compartment all to myself, I'm glad. Since walking is allowed in the train, I decide to explore what's around me and maybe get something to drink or eat in the food car. I don't really pay attention to where I'm going when I walk and I accidentally bump into someone. I glance up to see an older looking man.

"Sorry," I mumble and start walking again.

The man grabs my elbow. "Wait," he says.

I turn around slowly. I quickly scan my surroundings in case I need to escape.

"What's a young lady like you doing on a train all alone like this?" he asks.

"I'm much older than I look," I say, standing up straight and folding my arms across my chest. "I'm sixteen."

"A sophomore?" he asks and I nod. "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

I don't answer him.

"Are you running away?" the man asks with a chuckle.

"Not exactly," I say after a moment.

He looks at me expectantly. I think maybe I should just leave now, but something makes me stay. I shouldn't be afraid of this man's opinion of me. "I was expelled from school because I beat up a girl who was beating up my friend so I get to skip out on the rest of the school year."

"So you're a brave one, eh?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Just be careful, missy. I've seen people like you before, always up for challenging the system. Just remember that, even if it's for the good, sometimes you have to suck it up and play nice."

I take a moment to process what he says and nod slowly. The man walks releases my arm and walks off without another word.

_That was weird._

I shrug it off and walk off to go get something to drink.

I sip a small soda as I walk back to my compartment and put in my headphones. I like to blast my music and the train is kind of loud anyways, so I turn up the volume to its highest and sit back to relax. I must fall asleep somewhere along the way because I'm jolted awake by the train screeching to a stop. I grab my belongings and head out, walking over to the place where Tori said she'd meet me.

"Hey!" Tori calls out as she pulls up beside me in a black Cadillac.

"Hey," I answer back, grateful that she's not treating me like I just got expelled from school. I mean, yes, I did just get expelled, but I hate it when people treat me like it.

"I know you're not going to want me to drive you everywhere, so you see this car right here?" She pats the side of the car." This is now yours!" she says.

My mouth falls open. "Seriously?"

She nods. "I was getting rid of it anyway and nobody was offering a good price for it, so I figured why not just give it to you? It'll save me a ton of trouble from driving you around and it's something nice after everything you've had to go through right now. I know it wasn't your fault," Tori says softly.

"Not you, too," I groan. "I don't need pity. I'd rather not talk about me getting expelled. But thank you so much for the car! It's perfect!"

"You're welcome, and don't worry. I won't mention the expulsion again," she laughs.

Eventually, we get to her house and Tori pulls into the driveway. I step out my new car and walk into the house, preparing to start my new life.

**A/N: So what did you guys think? Review and let us know! We'd love to hear your feedback, whether it's compliments or criticism we want to hear what you have to say! Thanks!**

**~DauntlessDuo **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: HEY GUYS! So this chapter is a bit shorter, but oh well. Please review! Tell us what you think and if you have any ideas! See you at the bottom!  
**

_"Not you, too," I groan. "I don't need pity. I'd rather not talk about me getting expelled. But thank so much for the car! It's perfect!"_

_"You're welcome, and don't worry. I won't mention the expulsion again," she laughs._

_Eventually, we get to her house and Tori pulls into the driveway. I step out of my new car and walk into the house, preparing to starts my new life._

xXx

My room is at the back end of the house. Instead of a backyard with grass and trees, Tori's backyard is the beach. There's a set of double doors that open up to a private porch that overlooks the water. I'm half way through unpacking when I remember that I forgot to call my mom to tell her that I arrived safely. Crap. I rush over to the phone connected to the wall in my bed room and punch in my old house phone's number. After only two rings she picks up.

"Hello? Beatrice? Is that you?" My mother worriedly answers the phone.

"Yeah, it's me mom." I say, slightly annoyed that she's still freaking out.

She sighs in relief. "I was worried when you didn't call."

"Well there wasn't a phone on the train and I'm in the middle of unpacking. So I need to go." I say, clearly not wanting to talk anymore. I hear talking on the other end.

"Let me speak to her." My father says. I hear the exchange of the phone and my father starts.

"Beatrice." He says.

"Hmm?" I say while examining my nails. I know that the fact that I'm barely paying attention will kill him.

"Beatrice-" He starts but I cut him off.

"Actually, it's Tris." I say casually.

"Beatrice," my dad says again and I scoff. He continues, "Just because you're not home and Tori is watching you doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want. I still want you home by 8:45 and I don't want you out alone with any boys. You are not allowed to go to any parties, or get tattoos or piercings, and definitely are not allowed to have a boyfriend. Tori is rarely home and never pays attention to what you do because she's an unobservant little bitch, but-"

"Don't you call Tori names like that!" I yell.

"I can call Tori whatever I want young lady and you are not to talk back to me! Do you understand?"

I stay silent.

"Do you understand?" My dad repeats, his voice rising even louder.

"Whatever," I say, my voice sounding bored. I almost laugh once the words are out of my mouth. I just said the words that my dad hates most and there's nothing he can do about it.

"You are grounded! Do you hear me? Grounded!" My dad yells.

"You can't ground me from halfway across the country," I point out; still sounding like I don't give a crap over the phone but in real life I'm trying not to laugh.

"I can do whatever I want because I am the adult!"

"An adult that lives halfway across the country." I correct him.

"I am your father, Beatrice!"

"A father that practically disowned his own daughter for doing the right thing and standing up for her friend," I say, still not letting any emotion show.

"You are grounded! I don't want you leaving Tori's house or doing anything for the next two weeks!" He yells.

"And you're going to enforce that how?" I press. I should probably stop but honestly, I just don't want to.

"By telling your Aunt Tori!"

"And she's definitely going to make sure I don't set foot out of this house except to go to school," I say, my voice still sounding bored but hinting at sarcasm.

"Yes! Damn it, Tris. You're a horrible daughter! You're just like Tori. I hate her and I'm beginning to hate you! With your little stunt, you've made me look like a horrible father!"

"Guess what, _Andrew?!_" I yell, emphasizing my use of his real name. "You _are_ a horrible father! I would pick Tori over you any day! And never insult her again!" I scream and slam the phone onto the receiver. A strangles noise of frustration escapes my mouth as I pace my room. I have an internal battle with myself.

_How could he be so rude and selfish?_

_That's because he is rude and selfish._

_I can't believe he called Tori a bitch!_

_Yes you can, he's called you worse._

_This isn't helping._

_Yes it is._

_No it isn't._

_Yes it is._

_Shut up!_

_You shut up!_

I let out another frustrated noise as I storm out of my room and towards the front door. I grab my phone and headphones off of the counter as I leave. I need to clear my head.

I throw open the front door and slam it behind me. I hate him. I hate him so much. I run down the steps and start to jog down the sidewalk. I put my headphones and start to blast music.

_I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface  
Don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes  
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_

_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there_  
_Become so tired, so much more aware_  
_I'm becoming this, all I want to do_  
_Is be more like me and be less like you_

_Can't you see that you're smothering me,_  
_Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control?_  
_'Cause everything that you thought I would be_  
_Has fallen apart right in front of you._  
_(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_  
_Every step that I take is another mistake to you._  
_(Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow)_  
_And every second I waste is more than I can take._

_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there,_  
_Become so tired, so much more aware_  
_I'm becoming this, all I want to do_  
_Is be more like me and be less like you._

_And I know_  
_I may end up failing too._  
_But I know_  
_You were just like me with someone disappointed in you._

_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there,_  
_Become so tired, so much more aware._  
_I'm becoming this, all I want to do_  
_Is be more like me and be less like you._

_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there._  
_(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)_  
_I've become so numb, I can't feel you there._  
_(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)_

I look up and realize that I have no clue where I am. Not to mention that there is a giant group of shady looking guys walking in my direction. This isn't good. Every single one of them is covered in tattoos and pierces, the exact thing that my father forbid me from. I quickly look around and see a gas station and a McDonalds on the other side of the intersection. If I could just get around the group of guys…

"Hey, we haven't seen you around before." The one in the front of the dude pack says. Too late.

"Uh, yeah I just moved here." I say sneaking a glance at the McDonalds. I need to get there.

"Why are you out all by yourself?" The one in the front says, taking a step towards me.

"I just needed to clear my head. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Not so fast. I think that we should," The one in the front, who I think is this leader of this little pack, pauses. "show you around." He smiles cruelly and takes another step towards me.

Someone pulls up to the curb in an old Chevy pickup truck. "Leave her alone, Eric." The man that pulled up says. I look over and see a very attractive guy that looks about my age. He has short brown hair and the deepest blue eyes that I've ever seen.

"Why should I, Four?" The one that I now know as Eric says.

"Because she's my girlfriend and if you don't leave her alone, I'll kick your ass." Four, the man that pulled up, growls. Girlfriend? I might as well go with it if it's going to get me out of this.

I cross my arms and look at Eric. He looks angry but backs down.

"C'mon babe." Four says, without breaking eye contact with Eric. I walk over and climb into the passenger seat of his Chevy. He pulls away from the curb. I roll down the window.

"Thanks." I say, quite relieved to be away from Eric and his little gang. I just realized that I'm alone in a strange guy's car. Oh, crap.

"No problem." He says and quickly glances over at me. "So, I haven't seen you around before."

"I just moved in with my aunt." I say.

"Tori?" He asks.

"Yeah." I say slowly. "How did you know she was my aunt?"

"I went to get my tattoo finished a few weeks ago," He gestures to his back. "And she mentioned that her niece was moving in." My father would _not_ approve. And I don't care.

"Oh." I say. "So, your _girlfriend_ huh?" I smirk.

His eyes flicker down in embarrassment. "I figured you wanted to get out of there. And hey, it's not like I didn't see you checking me out earlier. Already unable to resist me?" He says and winks. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah sure. I won't be able to keep my hands off you just like every other slut in this town." I say sarcastically. He's cocky, but still, there's something about him…

He smiles. "Hey! Don't call them sluts! They prefer Independent Intimacy Facilitators."

I burst out laughing. "I'm going…to have to save that…for future reference." I barely get out. Four has a stupid grin on his face likes he's pleases with what he came up with.

"So are you okay?" Four asks.

I clear my throat. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. They didn't hurt me or anything."

"Good. What the hell were you doing all alone?"

"I'm not a little kid, I can walk alone if I want," I snap.

"Then how old are you?" He asks, looking amused.

"I'm sixteen. A sophomore."

"Oh, me too, actually. I guess you aren't a little kid, then."

"So… Can you drop me off?" I ask.

"Sure. Where do you live?" He asks.

"Uh, I think over on Shelter Cove Drive." I say, absentmindedly looking out the open window. I gave up trying to control my hair with all of the wind.

"Really? I live on that street." He says while turning left. That caught my attention.

"You do?" I ask, trying to contain my surprise.

"Yeah, 106 Shelter Cove Drive." He answers.

"I'm at 104 Shelter Cover Drive." I say.

"I guess we're neighbors." He smiles.

"Just what I want," I say sarcastically, laughing a little.

"Of course it is, not everyone's that lucky." He says, grinning. I roll my eyes.

"This is the house," I say. He pulls up into the driveway.

"Bye. Thanks for, uh, saving me," I say, looking down a little.

"You're welcome, I hate Eric and his little followers anyways. You should probably stay away from them," He smirks.

"Thanks for the advice. Are they our age?"

"Sadly," Four mutters.

"Great," I say sarcastically. "So I'll be seeing them at school?"

"Yup," Four says. "But you'll also see me," he smirks.

"Whatever," I laugh.

"So I never got your name…"

"Um…" I don't know why I hesitate. But "Beatrice" just doesn't sound right anymore.

"Think about it," he says, a faint smile curling his lips. "You don't get to pick again." A new place, a new name. I can be remade here.

"Tris," I say firmly.

"Well Tris, since we haven't really met yet, my name's Four. Nice to meet you." He says.

"Nice to meet you, too." I say laughing. Why am I laughing? Then I realize: it's him. Something about him…is different.

"Thanks for the ride." I say while getting out of the car.

"Yeah, don't mention it. Hey, there's a party on Friday on the beach. You should come." He says, smiling.

"I'll think about it." I say, smiling. He has a quick look of disappointment, but he covers it up quickly.

He smiles again, "I'll see you around." He winks.

I roll my eyes and smile. "Yeah whatever," I say and he drives two houses down to his house. I sigh and whisper to myself, "Hopefully."

I walk back up the stairs of the house and straight to my bed room. Tori won't be home for a couple of hours but I don't mind. The silence, something I dreaded growing up, gives me time to think.

What is it about him? Honestly, though, I can't get him out of my head. His blue eyes and sly smirk are there every time I close my eyes, and I can almost hear his deep voice in the silence of the empty house. What is he doing to me? I've never thought about a guy like this before, especially not a guy that I've only known for a couple minutes. As much as I pretended not to care about Four, I can't wait to see him again.

** Four's POV:**

I smile for the hundredth time since I met Tris, "I'll see you around."

"Yeah whatever," She says and I pull away to drive the 50 feet to my house. I look in the rear view mirror and see Tris whisper something before turning and walking up the steps and into her house.

I could've been imagining it, but I'm pretty sure she said, "Hopefully."

I park and run up the steps to my house. I pause and listen to see if my dad is home. I don't hear anything and decide that it's safe to walk in. I slowly open the door and enter the place that holds my worst nightmare. The stench of alcohol immediately hits me. _Crap. He's home._ I look down the hall and into my room. If I can reach it unseen…

"Tobias! Why aren't you in school?" My father slurs. "You worthless, ungrateful-" He continues to call me more names as I stand there. I can't win. I can't fight him. I'm such a coward.

"This is for your own good." He says while slowly taking off his belt. Those six words are what I fear most.

I cower against the front door and cover my head. My father pulls back his arm and snaps the belt forward. It hits just to the right of my spine. I bit my lip to keep from crying out. Showing any weakness will only result in me getting in more trouble. He hits me again, this time hitting just below my ribcage. I bit my lip so hard that it starts to bleed. He hits me again and again until my back is covered in long, bloody gashes. He mutters some obscenities and walks off to his room with a bottle of vodka. I slowly stand and limp to my room.

I blame my mom's death on my father. He would abuse both her and I, but she would get the worst of it. Every time he tried to hurt me, she would step in front of me to protect me. Before he could abuse her enough to the point that she almost paralyzed with fear, she would yell for me to run. And that's what I did. I would run through the double doors in my bedroom, off of my porch, and onto the beach. I had a secret hiding place that I would always go to when my dad became violent. At the end of Shelter Cove Drive, there's a wall of rock and sand. I found a small gap in the rocks that was invisible from the beach, but I could see everything. The knowledge that I could always count on the waves, one by one, crashing onto the shore calmed me. Even if my father was unpredictable, the waves were constant.

I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower. The cold water numbs some of the pain. I stand in the shower and watch as silent tears fall down my face and into my hands. Once the pain subsides a little, I grab a towel and dry off. I collapse on my bed face down and think about Tris.

She isn't particularly pretty. But her smile…her smile is contagious. Her blonde hair, untamable by the wind, almost glowed in the sunlight. Her blue and grey eyes shined. I can't get her out of my head. Tris…the new girl made an undeniable impression on me. And I don't think it's a bad thing.

I need to see her again. I need to.

**A/N: AYE GUYS! The song in this chapter is Numb by Linkin Park. We were both really surprised on how well it fit her situation! Again, please review! We'd love to hear what you think!**

**~DauntlessDuo**

**P.S. Can you guess what states that we are from? Guess in your reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey people! Happy New Year! Our gift to you is this chapter, so enjoy it! See you at the bottom...**

**Disclaimer (because iDivergence uses a ton of quotes haha) - We don't own Divergent or any rights to it! We're just crazy teen fangirls who decided to write a fanfic together.**

_I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower. The cold water numbs some of the pain. I stand in the shower and watch as silent tears fall down my face and into my hands. Once the pain subsides a little, I grab a towel and dry off. I collapse on my bed face down and think about Tris._

_She isn't particularly pretty. But her smile…her smile is contagious. Her blonde hair, untamable by the wind, almost glowed in the sunlight. Her blue and grey eyes shined. I can't get her out of my head. Tris…the new girl made an undeniable impression on me. And I don't think it's a bad thing._

_I need to see her again. I need to._

xXx

**Four's POV:**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

I groan and reach out to turn off my alarm clock. No one should have to get up at 6:00 a.m. I groggily get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. I turn and look at my back in the mirror. It doesn't look good. Yesterday's beating opened up some of the scars that have been healing, making the number of cuts and welts I have almost double. I can still see the jagged scars underneath the new ones. When Tori tattooed my back, she had to be extremely careful. She had to bring me into another room so that no one saw my scars. I remember when she first saw my ugly scars.

_"You need to tell somebody, Four." Tori said to me quietly._

_"I can't Tori, you know that." I mumbled into the chair that I was lying on._

_"I know. I'm sorry, Four." She whispered._

I turn on the shower and don't bother waiting for it to heat up. The cold water will help numb the throbbing I feel all over my back. I quickly shower and after wrapping a towel around my waist, I stand in front of the mirror and wrap my back and abdomen with gauze. I also shave off the stubble that I've neglected for about a week. Who knows, I might see Tris today. I need to look somewhat presentable.

Wait. No.

Why would I think that? Tris was clearly not interested in me. Usually my cocky approach works but this time, it seemed like she couldn't care less. Plus, who knows if she'll even be at school today since she just moved.

I get dressed and skip breakfast. Maybe if I leave early enough, I won't have to deal with my dad's hangover. I slip out of my room and sneak down the hallway. I grab my backpack that I threw next to the front door and escape out of my house. I walk down to my old Chevy and after multiple tries, got the engine to start and backed out of my driveway and to school. I can only hope the Tris will be there…

xXx

Well that was disappointing. Tris wasn't at school today and according to the lady at the school office, she won't be in school until the next school year. I only have to get through a week of school and sophomore year will be over. One more week.

I collapse onto my bed again and shove in my headphones and try to block out the world.

_Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep  
Dreaming about the things that we could be  
But baby, I've __been, I've been prayin' hard_

_Said no more counting dollars  
We'll be counting stars  
Yeah, we'll be counting stars_

I fall asleep within minutes.

**Tris's POV:**

I finish unpacking and it's only 3 o'clock. I decide to go sit on the porch because I have nothing better to do. The small deck is furnished with two chairs and a small loveseat. I walk through my double doors, past the couch and chairs, and sit on the steps leading onto the beach. I take off my shoes and stretch out my legs, feeling the hot sand start to burn my legs. My mind wanders, yet again, to Four. The mysterious, charming boy that saved me from getting kidnapped or something by Eric.

I can't help but sneak glances at his house. Is school over yet? Is he home? Has he even thought about me since yesterday? I don't know. I don't know. And it's killing me to not know.

Minutes pass but they feel more like hours as I sit watching the ocean and taking the occasional glance at Four's house. And then I see him.

Someone pushes open the double doors and walks out onto their deck that's identical to mine. It's him. It's Four. I dive behind the loveseat and out of view before he can see me. I peak around the edge of the small couch and see that he's sitting on edge of his porch just as I was moments ago.

Well. I'm stuck. I can't sneak back inside because he'll hear the doors open. I can't sit on the steps like I was because he'll notice that I wasn't there a few seconds ago. I decide that the only thing I can do I quietly sit on couch and pretend that I've been sitting here the whole time. I, as quietly as I can, crawl to the front of the couch and lift myself up to sit down. As I'm about to sit down, my foot slides on the slick wooden deck and I fall. I let out a small shriek and immediately cover my mouth.

**Four's POV:**

After sitting on the steps leading from my room to the beach for a few minutes, I hear a scream come for Tris's house. I immediately look up to see Tris sitting on the floor in front of her a small couch. I laugh as I stand up to walk over to her.

**Tris's POV:**

I look over to Four's house to see if he noticed; he did. I don't even bother pulling myself off of the ground as I see a laughing Four walking over in my direction.

He stops at the bottom of the two steps that lead onto my deck and says, "Smooth."

I wipe the sand off of my legs. "Thanks. I kind of slipped."

"I can see that," He says, smiling. He walks up the two steps and reaches his hand out to help me up. I grab his hand and he pulls me up.

"Thanks," I say. I still haven't let go. Neither has he.

**Four's POV:**

I still haven't let go of her hand. I lead her over to the steps of her deck to cover up for not releasing her hand right away. God, I'm an idiot. She probably noticed that I didn't let go right away. I'm such an idiot!

**Tris's POV:**

He leads me over to the steps of my balcony, still not letting go of my hand. I shake the idea of him being interested in me from my mind. He was just being nice. I'm actually disappointed when he releases my hand after we sit down.

"So, Four," I begin. "I know almost nothing about you besides the fact that you have a really old car and a tattoo."

He laughs. "Well. I'm sixteen; I turn seventeen on June 4th. My sophomore year ends in a week and that party on Friday is sort of a 'last day' thing. My mom, uh, she died a couple of years ago. So it's me and my dad. I hate my dad. A lot. I'm on the football team, quarterback actually," He looks over at me. "They call me the sexy quarterback." He winks. I roll my eyes and laugh. "And that's about it. What about you?"

"There isn't much to tell, really." I start. "I'm from Chicago. I got expelled for beating the crap out of someone who was beating the crap out of one of my friends. My dad basically disowned me after, claiming that my little stunt made him look like a horrible father. I have a brother, Caleb, that's like 10 months older than I am. It was my mom's idea that I move out here with my aunt so I can 'learn to behave myself' or whatever. Actually, I had just fought with my dad and went to clear my head when Eric showed up."

**Four's POV:**

"My dad is a jerk, too," I say. I think about all the things I could tell her. About my mom. About my dad. I'm not ready to say any of that yet. If only she knew the truth. My dad is more than a jerk, he's a monster. I decided to try and change the subject from family to something else, but she beats me to it.

"Is that your tattoo?" she asks.

"What? Oh. Yeah, it is. Do you have any?" I ask.

"No, but I want one..." she says, her voice trailing off.

"What do you want it of?"

"Three ravens... right here," she says, pointing to three places on her collarbone.

I smile. "Anything else rebellious you'd want to do?" I ask her, chuckling a little.

"Well, I'd love to do pretty much everything I couldn't do with my parents," she answers.

"Like what?" Now I'm really curious. Little, blonde Tris is quite a rebel.

"Like dip dye my hair black, dress how I want to dress instead of how what my parents believe I should wear, stay out late with friends, go to parties, get a boyfriend-" she blushes when she says that. "All that stuff," she says, covering up her blush.

"A boyfriend, huh?" I press. It's funny to see her embarrassed.

"Eventually."

"Hmm, well as far as Eric and his gang know, we're dating, so you're already half way there," I smirk.

Tris rolls her eyes and laughs a little. I have to tear my eyes away from her so she won't notice me staring at her. "So how'd you get the nickname of Four? It's obviously not your real name," she asks me.

"Well, believe it or not, I used to wear glasses when I was younger. I would never tell anyone my name so Zeke used to always call me 'Four Eyes' and eventually it shortened to Four," I tell her, smiling at the memory.

"So what _is _your real name?" she asks quietly.

I take a moment to answer. "You'll find out eventually," I tell her. She looks at me for a second but doesn't press on. I try to change the subject.

"Oh! If you come to that party on Friday, I can introduce you to my friends. They'll all be there." I say. I mentally scold myself for sounding so excited. _She doesn't like you._

**Tris's POV:**

I inwardly groan. "Believe it or not, I'm not exactly very social and I would have absolutely no idea of what to wear," I laugh. "But seeming as though I have nothing else to do on Friday, I might as well come." His face lights up. "When and where is it?"

"Friday night right before sunset. It's actually going to be right here." He gestures out to the beach in front of us.

"I'll be here," I say smiling. He grins as he looks back over at the water.

"So," I say. "Tell be about this tattoo of yours."

xXx

Friday has come sooner than I thought. I have only a few hours until the party starts. I have no clue what to wear and I have to make a good impression on these people. Just as I was about to walk over to Four's and tell him that I can't come tonight, someone knocks on my door. I walk out of my room and to the front door. I open it to see a group of three girls and one guy.

"Are you Tris?" One of the girls squeaks.

"Uh, yeah. How do you know me…or where I live?" I ask slowly.

"We're some of Four's friends! He couldn't stop talking about you at school and said that you might need help getting ready for the party tonight." He couldn't stop talking about me. "So here we are! I'm Christina, this is Marlene, this is Shauna, and this is Noah. Uriah and Zeke didn't want to come help get you ready, but they'll be at the party later if you can find them." Christina says, pointing to each person as she says their name.

I smile and move out of the way so that they can walk into my house. I lead the way down towards my bedroom and Christina, Marlene, Shauna, and Noah follow. As soon as we reach my room, the three girls sit down on my bed and stare at me.

"What?" I say awkwardly. I don't like the attention.

"Nothing. We just need to decide how to dress you for tonight." Marlene says. I nod my head.

Noah smirks at my unease. "Don't work, they always do this." He assures me.

xXx

Who knew that it could take a whole four hours to get ready for a party? I didn't. After being dressed, forced into wearing makeup, and as Christina calls it 'being beautified', I was deemed presentable for the party tonight.

I'm dressed in a 'totally cute!' strapless, dark blue bikini. The same color as Four's eyes, I notice. After convincing Christina to let me wear something over the tiny swim suit, she put me in a neon pink crop top and the shortest shorts that I have ever seen. At least it's something. Shauna insisted on straightening my hair and Marlene almost had to wrestle me into wearing mascara. But, here I am, four hours later in tiny clothes and an even smaller bikini. Noah has been suppressing a smile as I stand in front of my full body mirror, scowling.

"Tris, you look great." He says while holding back laughter.

"You look so pretty!" Shauna shrieks, causing me to cringe a little. Christina and Marlene nod their heads in agreement.

"Thanks guys," I say with a small smile. "I probably wouldn't have gone if you guys didn't show it and help me."

They all squeal and surround me in a group hug. I smile and hug them back; they're growing on me.

"Ready?" Noah asks, walking up behind me.

"I think so." I say worriedly.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"I've, uh, never been to a party before." I say, looking down.

"Just stay by Four and you'll be fine." He gives me a small smile. I nod and slip on some black flip flops. Before I leave the safety of my house, I walk over to my dresser and pick up the necklace that Caleb gave me and put it on. I slip the necklace underneath my crop top.

I open up my double doors and freeze. What I see surprises me.

There's a huge bonfire behind the house that separates Four's house and mine. About 200 teens are surrounding the fire. Every single one of them is holding a beer. _This is not my crowd._

"It's not as bad as you think." Noah whispers to me. I didn't realize that I must have a look of horror on my face. I nod slowly and step down onto the beach.

"Where's Four?" I ask Christina.

"We'll find him," She smirks. Does she think…? No. She can't. She can't think that I like him.

Shauna walks up beside me and hooks her arm with mine. Christina notices and hooks her arm with mine as well. They practically have to drag me across the beach and to the bonfire.

xXx

After refusing countless beers, I resort to standing to the side of the mass of teens listening to the music. I must have zoned out, because I don't realize someone coming up behind me.

**Four's POV:**

I've been looking for Tris for about a half an hour. After pushing my way through the crowd I see her. She's off to the side of the group zoned out. I push my way back through the crowd and quietly walk up behind her. After pausing for a moment I throw my arms around her, one covering her eyes and the other holding her against me. She screams and whips around looking both furious and terrified.

She relaxes as soon as she sees me. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" She yells, lightly punching me in the arm.

"Oh, I would never forgive myself if I did that," I grin. She smiles and walks into me.

"Don't ever do that again," She mumbles into my chest. I wrap my arms around her.

I'm hugging her. _Don't freak out. Stay calm._

I pull away slightly. "Do you want to get out of here?" I ask her. She looks over towards the growing group of teens. A look of disgust crosses her face and she nods.

**Tris's POV:**

"Alright, let's go," Four says. I just hugged him. Oh my God. I stare at him. I feel my heartbeat everywhere, even in my toes. I feel like doing something bold, but I could just as easily walk away. I am not sure which option is smarter, or better. I am not sure that I care. I reach out and take his hand. His fingers slide between mine. I can't breathe. I stare up at him and he stares down at me. For a long moment, we stay that way.

"We should get going," He whispers. I nod.

We walk away from the group, hand in hand. My heart is beating so fast and I'm pretty sure he can hear it because he has this silly grin on his face.

**Four's POV:**

Tris slides her hand into mine and I swear, I stop breathing. I look down on her and she looks up at me and we stay there for how long, I don't know. I come to my senses and whisper, "We should get going." She nods and I lead her away from the group. I can't get this stupid grin off my face that she's holding my hand. _She likes me. Oh my God._

I know exactly where I'm going to take her. I start towards the rock wall.

**Tris's POV:**

"Four, where are we going?" I ask, looking up at him.

He glances down at me. "Now, you'll see when we get there, won't you," He smiles.

I groan, "Please tell me!"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises."

"Oh well," His smile widens. I realize that he's leading me straight towards the giant rock wall that is at the end of the beach. "Where in the world is he taking me?" I think to myself.

Just when I start to think that he's going to stop, he takes a sharp left towards the ocean. "Be careful here, you wouldn't want to get your clothes wet," Four smirks. I look down and blush. I'm only wearing that stupid crop top and tiny shorts.

The path between the tide line and cliff is so small that I have to walk in front of him. Still, I never let go off his hand. The path opens up enough for two people to walk side by side. He comes next to me and after we walk about twenty feel and he turns right into the cliff. Only he didn't walk right into the cliff, there's a small gap between some rocks that is only big enough for me to walk sideways. I would have never noticed it. To the left is a steep path that goes almost straight up.

"I'm going to go behind you in case you fall." He says.

"Alright, just don't stare at my ass," I smirk.

**Four's POV:**

Naturally, I ignore what she said and stare at her ass. Oops. Tris starts up the path and I follow close behind, making sure she doesn't fall. I've walked up this path so many times that I could probably do it with my eyes closed.

After we reach the top, I slip my hand into hers and pull her over to the edge. There's a large rock about four feet from the edge that I've always used to lean against. I've always been afraid of heights and the rock has always given my something to stabilize myself. Tris, however, walks right up the edge, sits down, and swings her legs over. She looks back at me and scoots back, so that we're both directly next to each other. She slides her hand into mine. The sun hasn't fully set yet and the sky is a beautiful mix of pink, yellow, and orange.

"How did you find this place?" She whispers. I hesitate. I guess I would have to tell Tris that my dad beats me eventually, I just didn't think it would be so soon.

I recount the whole story about my father beating my mother and I and how I found this secret spot. I can't find it in me to look her in the eyes. After I finish, my eyes still don't meet hers.

**Tris's POV:**

I slide my hand under Four's chin and turn his face that he's forced to look at me. "I'm so sorry, Four," I say with tears in my eyes.

"Tobias," He says. "My real name's Tobias. But please, only call me that when we're alone. I don't want everyone else to know." I nod.

"Tobias," I correct myself. "This should never have happened to you. You didn't deserve it and it isn't fair. You don't have to be afraid of him, Tobias. You're stronger than this. I'm always going to be here for you. No matter what. I will never leave you. I promise. You deserve so much better-" I get cut off when he leans in and fits his lips with mine.

Oh my god.

**A/N: Now how was THAT for the beginnings of FourTris?! And there's more where that came from! Thank you to everybody who followed, favorited, and reviewed! CRITICISMS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED AND HELPFUL!**

**~DauntlessDuo**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey people! Here's another update for you guys, we had a lot of fun writing this chapter and we hope you like it! Enjoy chapter TOBIAS (hehe see what I did there)... See you at the bottom.**

_I slide my hand under Four's chin and turn his face so that he's forced to look at me. "I'm so sorry, Four," I say with tears in my eyes._

_"Tobias," He says. "My real name's Tobias. But please, only call me that when we're alone. I don't want everyone else to know." I nod._

_"Tobias," I correct myself. "This should never have happened to you. You didn't deserve it and it isn't fair. You don't have to be afraid of him, Tobias. You're stronger than this. I'm always going to be here for you. No matter what. I will never leave you. I promise. You deserve so much better-" I get cut off when he leans in and fits his lips with mine._

_Oh my god._

**Tris's POV:**  
He's kissing me. _He's kissing me! Kiss him back you idiot!_

I tense up at first, completely shocked that the big, cocky, out of my league quarterback is kissing me. I forget how to think, how to move, how to breathe.

He pulls away. "I've been refraining from doing that since the moment I met you," he whispers.

"Oh?" I say, trying to sound calm even though my heart is beating so fast that I'm sure you can see it through my tiny shirt.

"Yeah. Tris, I... I like you, Tris. I like you a lot," he tells me, looking straight into my eyes.

I am, yet again, at a complete and total loss of words. I like him. A lot. I just can't find the words. _Say something!_

He awkwardly coughs, "I…I'm sorry, Tris. I didn't mean to just do that and I understand if…if you don't want to see me again. I just-"

"Shut up," I say. He looks up at me, confused. "Shut up and kiss me."

He takes my face in his hands, his fingers strong against my skin, and kisses me again, firmer this time, more certain. I wrap an arm around him, sliding my hand up his neck and into his short hair. I feel alive; every fiber in my being is awake and buzzing with electricity. When we pull apart, I stare into his eyes for a moment, breathing heavier than normal. Four-no-Tobias-is grinning widely.

"I like you, too," I whisper, not breaking eye contact.

Tobias looks down after a moment. "Zeke, Uriah, Will, Noah, Shauna, Marlene, Christina, and I are all going down to the beach tomorrow around noon, do you want to come, too?"

"Sure, if you think it would be alright with them," I say shyly, not wanting to intrude or anything.

"Yeah, it'll be fine, they seemed to really like you," Tobias says, smiling a bit.

I smirk, "They aren't the only ones." Tobias blushes.

"Yeah, yeah we all like you a lot." He says quietly. I grin.

"Okay, then I'll come," I say. I look away from Tobias and across the water. "Look," I whisper.

**Four-wait no-Tobias's POV:**

"Look," Tris whispers. I follow her gaze out and see the sun just about to disappear below the horizon. It's beautiful.

"It's beautiful," She whispers.

I repeat her words from just moments ago, "It isn't the only one." Now, it's her turn to blush. She looks down quickly and then back up at me. This time, it's her that leans in.

**Tris's POV:**

"It isn't the only one." Tobias whispers. I blush and look down, remembering how I made him blush just moments ago with almost the same words. I look back up at him, I can't help it. I lean in and fit his lips with mine.

"We should get you home," He mumbles against my lips. I pull away.

"If you insist," I say, smiling a little. Tobias stands, pulling me up with him.

"You know," He says, his eyes flickering down. "You should let Christina dress you more often."

I blush, again, as he leads the way down to the beach. When we reach the bottom, the tide is at the edge of the rock wall.

"This isn't good," I hear Tobias mumble.

I look up at him, "What do we do? I mean, we can't very well sleep up there. He thinks for a minute.

"Well," He begins. "I guess my only option is to carry you." He looks down at me mischievously.

"What? No I-" I don't have time to finish my protest before Tobias throws me over his shoulder.

"Tobias! Put me down!" I yell.

"If you insist," He says, dropping me in the freezing water. My scream is muffled by the water. I feel two strong arms pull me out of the water.

"That," I say, crossing my arms. "was not very nice."

"You're one to talk."

"Hey, I could be nice if I tried."

"Hmm." He taps his chin. "Say something nice, then."

"You're very good-looking."

He smiles, his teeth a flash in this dark. "I like this 'nice' thing."

I roll my eyes and smile. I suddenly realize how cold I am. I shiver involuntarily and, without thinking, pull off my wet crop top and slide off my clingy shorts. As soon as I am about to discard them to the side, I cringe. I just took off my clothes, leaving only that tiny bikini covering me. I slowly look up at Tobias.

He's holding back a smile. "You should _definitely_ let Christina dress you more often." I try to glare at him, but I just end up smiling. _My father would die if he saw me like this._

"Yeah whatever," I mumble as I take his hand and start to drag him across the beach. The soaking wet bundle of 'clothes' in my free hand.

Tobias walks me down to my house and gives me a kiss on the forehead before he walks to his own. When he's about halfway there, I go into my own house so it doesn't look like I'm some sort of stalker watching him go home. Tori is in the kitchen, smirking to herself.

"What?" I ask her when her smirk turns to me.

"I see you've met Four."

"Yeah he's," I pause, trying to find a casual word to describe him. "different."

"I see he gave you a kiss on the forehead before he left." Her smirk turns into a grin.

I silently curse the wide kitchen window that you can see pretty much everything outside from. "So? Friends do that all the time," I say casually, still not really sure of what Tobias and I are relationship-wise.

"Of course they do," Tori says sarcastically. She obviously isn't buying it.

I roll my eyes and laugh a little. Then I eye the pot on the stove. "So what's for dinner?" Hopefully, changing the subject will keep me from further questioning.

"Some of my not-so-famous homemade chicken wings! They're boiling right now," Tori says excitedly.

I grin. "My favorite!" I exclaim. Tori is an amazing cook. She doesn't always have time to make food so the majority of our dinners are frozen or leftovers, but when she does have the time, you can't help yourself from wanting to go back for more.

"I'm going to go get rid of these horrible clothes," I say, surprised that Tori hasn't commented on the lack of clothing I have on. Not that she would care, she just usually makes some type of remark about it out of curiosity.

"Yeah, if you could even call those clothes," Tori says sarcastically. There's the comment I was expecting.

"You can thank Four's friends for that," I laugh. "Christina especially."

"I figured they were the ones who got you into that, especially after I saw you 'just talking' to Four. How did you like them?"

"They're all pretty cool, kind of crazy, but cool," I smile, grabbing an apple off the counter.

Despite the fact that dinner is almost ready, I haven't eaten since I woke up and I'm starving.

"Don't fill up to much or you won't have room for the chicken wings!" Tori warns.

I laugh. "You know I could eat all day, every day."

"And yet you stay so skinny... If only I knew your secrets," she laughs.

I smile. "I'm going to need to go upstairs and call Caleb eventually; he wanted to talk to me."

"Alright, I'll call you when dinner's ready," Tori says, and I head upstairs to call my brother.

xXx

I sit on my back porch, waiting to see Tobias, or any of his friends, on their way to the beach. This morning, I pulled on a black V-neck top and shorts. I pull out my phone to check the time. 12:03. They should be here any minute.

As if on cue, Tobias walks out of his back porch and makes his way over to my house. He's wearing a tight black shirt that defines his sculpted body and shorts. I look down at my outfit and laugh, we're matching. When he's at the bottom step, he tosses me an orange.

"Thanks?" I say, almost like a question.

"It's from the orange tree in my front yard. My mom planted it before I was born and I've kept it up since she died," he tells me.

"Oh, thank you," I say, surer this time.

"You're welcome. Nice outfit." He smirks.

I laugh and say, "Thanks, I guess I'm not the only one with good taste in clothes around here."

He smiles, "Ready to head down to the beach?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

Tobias takes my hand and we walk down onto the beach. I see his group of friends down the beach a couple hundred feet down and steer us in that direction. The group seems bigger than I recall. I then remember Christina saying that two guys didn't want to come help me get ready. "Hey Four!" They call out.

"Tris, you've met everyone else except for Uriah and Zeke. So Tris, this is Uriah and Zeke. Uriah and Zeke, this is my girlfriend," I see Noah raise his eyebrows at me and smile. "Tris." Tobias says once we're in front of the group.

"Well, technically, you haven't officially asked me, yet," I point out and smirk a little at Tobias.

He tilts his head to the side then smiles. "Tris –whatever your last name is–," Tobias starts, "Prior." I tell him. "Ah yes, Tris _Prior_," He gets down onto one knee. "The girl who caught my attention from the moment I laid eyes on her. The girl that didn't fall for my cocky, overconfident self, but for the person I am deeper down than that. Will you give me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?" He says over dramatically.

I laugh and roll my eyes. "Yes Four, I will be your girlfriend."

All of the girls let out an 'aww' and Tobias stands up and kisses me. "Get a room!" Uriah yells, laughing a little.

Tobias and I break apart and we walk towards the hand in hand, causing another chorus of 'aww' from the girls and a scoff from the boys.

"So Tris, what's your story? How'd you end up in this little town in the middle of nowhere?" Christina asks once we all sit on the blanket that someone was smart enough to bring.

"Well," I start. "I'm from Chicago. I got expelled from school after beating the complete shit out of someone that was beating up my friend. My father basically disowned me and my mom decided that I should move out here with my aunt to 'learn how to behave myself' or something. My parents were always incredibly strict so I decided that while they can't boss me around, I'm going to party and dip dye my hair and get tattoos."

"You little rebel!" Shauna laughs.

"You're going to fit in real well with us," Uriah says and I smile. I look over at Tobias, who still isn't eye level with me even though we're sitting down, and I can see him grinning.

"What about you guys?" I ask. "What are your stories?"

The group looks at Christina. "Oh, I guess I'll go first." She says laughing. "Well, my dad is stationed here from some military thing. I moved in a couple years ago. My boyfriend, Will, is on vacation right now but he'll be back in like a week." That makes nine people, including Tobias and myself, in this group.

Christina looks over at Noah. "Well, I moved here during eighth grade year because I was assigned to a different foster home. I was about to get reassigned again, but Uriah and Zeke let me move in with them. Thanks, again. And uh, that's about it. Oh! I'm gay. I almost forgot about that." Noah laughs.

Uriah says, "Yeah, no problem dude. So, um, Zeke and I are brothers, twins actually. Although, I'm the funny, more attractive brother," Uriah winks. Zeke yells, "Hey! Don't lie to her! Tris, as you can tell I'm the funnier, more attractive brother." Uriah says, "Yeah in your dreams, Zeke. Anyways, we've always lived here and I don't know if we'll ever leave."

"Speak for yourself, little bro," Zeke says. "I can't wait to get out of here. Me and Four are getting out of here as soon as senior year is over."

Uriah yells, "I'm not your 'little bro'! We were two minutes apart so that does not make me the little one."

"Yes it does." Zeke grins.

"Whatever." Uriah says. "So, I don't know if you know, but Marlene is my girlfriend and Shauna is Zeke's girlfriend." I look down and realize that each couple is holding hands.

"Yeah, yeah, you all have someone to snuggle with. Whatever." Christina says.

"Watch this," Uriah whispers. "Hey Chrissy! How long until Will gets back?" Christina cringes at the nickname and checks her phone.

After a moment of silence, she says, "6 day, 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 8 seconds."

My jaw drops, "How did you do that?"

Zeke lightly punches Christina's arm. "She's our own little math genius."

"Yeah, and I'm the reason none of y'all are still failing Algebra II." Christina says.

"Excellent point," Tobias says.

"So Tris," Noah begins. "What exactly did you want to do now that you can do pretty much whatever you want?"

"For starters, I want to dip dye my hair black and get a tattoo." I say.

"The hair salon also has its own little tattoo parlor in it if you want to go." Marlene says.

"Tori's her aunt." Tobias says.

"Really?" Shauna asks.

"Yeah, she is. I guess that means I won't have to pay for a tattoo then." I say, smiling a little.

"Well if you're up to going, we should go now." Christina says. "The salon closes in 5 hours and 27 minutes and I want food."

We all agree and stand up off of the blanket. "You sure about this?" Tobias whispers.

"Definitely." I whisper back. He squeezes my hand and our giant group of friends makes their way off of the beach.

As we reach the front of my house, I hear Uriah exclaim, "Whose car is that?"

Uriah, Zeke, Tobias, and Noah all run up towards my black Cadillac and marvel at it.

"It's mine." I say quietly. All three of them turn towards me.

"This car…" Uriah starts.

"Is beautiful." Zeke finishes for him.

"It's more than beautiful," I say. "My baby's powered by a 7.2-liter V-12 comprised of two 60-degree 3.6-liter V-6 engines bolted together."

All four are gaping are me.

I pass Tobias and lift up my hand under his chin, closing his mouth.

"I call shotgun!" Tobias yells and runs around to the other side of my car. I roll my eyes and laugh as I slide into the driver's seat.

"No fair!" Uriah yells.

"I wanted shotgun!" Zeke pouts. Noah stomps his foot on the ground like a toddler.

"Well sucks for you guys." Tobias grins. "Now hurry up and get in the back before we leave without you."

The entire group shuffles towards my car.

Tobias leans over and whispers, "How in the world did you know what's in this car?"

I grin mischievously, "Jealous?" He nods and smiles a little.

As every crams themselves in, I think to myself, "_We are way over the legal limit for this car._"

I begin to pull out of the driveway, but quickly stop. "I have no clue where I'm going." I admit. I still don't know where that McDonalds was that I so desperately hoped to get to a few days ago.

"I'll give you directions." Tobias says. I continue to pull out of the driveway. I reach the first intersection and stop at the red light.

"Turn left when the light turns green." Tobias says. I nod.

When the light turns green, I rev the engine of my Cadillac and make a quick left. Uriah and Zeke practically squeal with joy and excitement. I roll my eyes and smile at their excitement.

xXx

"Tris?" Tori asks as my friends and I –I think they're my friends– walk into the salon/tattoo parlor.

"Hey Tori!" I say. I never really thought about how she might not let me get a tattoo…

"What do you guys need?" She asks. She smirks when she sees Tobias and my connect hands.

"Well," Zeke says. "Tris here wants to dye dip-"

"It's dip dye, Zeke." Shauna corrects.

"Oh, well Tris here wants to _dip dye_ her hair and get a tattoo. So we figured we'd come get the tattoo before doing anything else." Zeke explains.

"Alright," Tori says. "Tris, did you mention this to your parents?" A smile creeps onto her face.

"Nope!" I say.

Tori laughs, "Well, you need a parent or legal guardian to give you permission, unless in extreme conditions," Her eyes flicker to Tobias. It was so quick that you wouldn't have noticed unless you were paying attention to it. "And I'm your guardian, I guess, so yeah. What tattoo do you want?"

"I want three ravens right here," I point at three different places on my collarbone. Tori starts sketching as I sit down in the tattooing chair.

xXx

"So, did it hurt?" Christina asks while eating one of my fries. Tobias took over driving and drove us to the McDonalds that now holds so many memories.

"Yeah," I say. "Wait, haven't you guys gotten tattoos?"

The group shakes their heads. "Just you and Four," Noah says.

"Oh," I say as I look over at Tobias. "I guess the rest of you are just pansycakes then."

"Pansycake?" Noah asks.

"What's a pansycake?" Marlene inquires.

"A pancake?" Zeke questions.

"What is this said 'pansy of cakes' you speak of?" Uriah asks in, for some reason, a British accent.

"You've never heard of a pansycake?" I ask, raising my eyebrows slightly. "A pansycake is like a wimp. A delicate, little flower like a pansy. And hey, I love cake. So together its pansycake."

"Ohh." Everyone says simultaneously while some nod their heads slowly.

"I like that." Uriah says. "I think I'm going to have to start using that."

Marlene groans, "Thanks Tris, now we'll never stop hearing it again."

The group laughs and Uriah mutters, "You all are pansycakes."

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Christina yells, standing up. "Tris, we have to go dip dye your hair!"

Tobias stands up, grabbing the tray of empty food wrappers walking to go throw it away. "What do you guys need for that?" He asks.

Christina starts to ramble off a list of stuff we need, but I become incredibly distracted by Tobias's muscles as they contract. The words come out under my breath, "Why me?" It was barely audible. Thank goodness.

"What?" Christina asks, looking over to me.

"Nothing," I mumble. The look on her face says that she doesn't believe me. Tobias comes back and we leave McDonalds to pile into my car and head home.

xXx

Christina rushed all of the guys out of my house so that we could have 'girl talk' while she dies my hair.

"So Tris, what was bothering you in the restaurant?" Christina asks. She gives me a worried look as she pulls out the supplies we bought at the small grocery store about three blocks from the McDonalds.

"It was stupid." I say quietly.

"Tris, you can tell us anything. We're all friends here," Marlene says. Shauna nods her head.

"I was just thinking…why me? Of all people that Four could pick, why me? I mean, I'm not pretty. I'm short with no figure. He's way out of my league, why me?" I say. I look down a little, not wanting to see their reactions.

"Tris, are you blind?" Shauna asks me very seriously.

"No?" I answer, it was more like a question than an answer.

"You must be if you don't see how he looks at you. I mean, you've been here for like a week and he looks at you like you're the love of his life." Shauna says.

"She's right," Marlene says. "He couldn't stop talking about you at school."

Christina laughs a little, "He was so nervous about you meeting us." I laugh nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, we like you." Marlene says. I smile.

"Good, I wasn't just nervous about meeting you guys." The three look at me confused. "I was terrified."

They laugh and Christina starts to give me details on what she's about to do to my hair and how to take care of it. I'm not really listening, but instead thinking about Tobias.

"_He looks at you like you're the love of his life." _

_"He couldn't stop talking about you at school." _

_"He was so nervous about you meeting us."_

Their words repeat in my mind over and over again.

**A/N: How did you guys like that? Shoutout to NerdiGirl for giving us a great and helpful review! Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! So both DauntlessFlames46 and my schools started back up on Monday (EWW SCHOOL UGH) so we haven't been able to update everyday like when we first started. Sorry guys. Anyways, enjoy! See you at the bottom.**

_They laugh and Christina starts to give me details on what she's about to do to my hair and how to take care of it. I'm not really listening, but instead thinking about Tobias._

_"He looks at you like you're the love of his life." _

_"He couldn't stop talking about you at school." _

_"He was so nervous about you meeting us."_

_Their words repeat in my mind over and over again._

**Tobias POV:**

I hear someone knocking on the front door, but I ignore it. I turn up the volume. A few seconds pass and I hear more knocking. I groan and stand up off the couch and open the front door.

"Hey babe!" Lauren says excitedly. Lauren? I thought I finally got rid of this psychotic bitch.

"What are you talking about?" I ask emotionless. "I'm with Tris."

"Who the hell is Tris?" She asks disgusted.

"My girlfriend."

"Oh Four, baby, I know you want me." She steps into my house and tries to sound seductive, "All you have to do is ask."

I have to keep from laughing out how desperate she is.

"No," I say plainly. "Get out." She looks hurt.

"C'mon baby, don't be like that," Lauren steps closer to me and shuts the door.

"Lauren, we dated for two weeks. I'm not interested. Get out of my house. Now." I say threateningly. I can see the quick flash of out in her eyes, but she masks it.

Lauren's hand reaches around her back and I see it wrap around something. My eyes widen when I see what it is. A knife. A very large, dangerous knife that could draw blood from just touching it. She pushes, what I now refer to as knifezilla, against my stomach.

"Now Four, I've tried to be reasonable," Lauren steps closer to me. "but you just weren't listening. Now you get to be with a real woman." She presses her body against mine with the knife between us.

"Lauren," I say nervously. I need to get that knife.

"Shh," She presses her lips against mine. I am immediately disgusted, but I can't push her back without getting stabbed. I hear the doors in my room open. _Please don't be Tris. Please don't be Tris._

**Tris POV:**

My hair looks…rebellious. I love it. I stand in front of my full body mirror and am actually surprised on how well I did putting together an outfit to surprise Tobias with. I have on a pair of skinny jeans, a navy blue crop top that Christina picked out, a floral lace scarf, and black combat boots. My dyed hair is perfectly straight. I lean forward and do my best to apply eye liner, mascara, and some concealer just like Marlene showed me. I grab my phone off of my nightstand and race out across the beach.

I look over to Tobias's house and see that his bedroom light is on. I tiptoe up the steps onto his deck and tap on the door. No one answers. I knock, louder this time. No answer. I quietly turn the knob and push the door open. I hear talking in the living room.

"To-uh-Four?" I call out, not sure if there's anyone here he wouldn't want hearing his real name.

Nobody answers so I walk over to where the voices are coming from. The second I do, I immediately wish I hadn't.

Tobias is making out with some curvy, gorgeous girl with long, light brown hair. As beautiful as the girl may be, all I can think is _slut_.

"Who the hell is this?!" I yell when my thoughts are gathered enough to form words.

"Tris!" Tobias says, his eyes widening. "This isn't what it-"

"Who are you?" the girl asks, her eyes full of hurt. "You told me you were single!" she yells at Tobias.

"Is that true, _Four_?" I ask, spitting out his nickname like venom. "Did you tell this girl you were single?"

"No, she-" Tobias starts, but the girl interrupts him.

"Four! I thought you were different!" the girl says, her brown eyes filling with tears.

"Lauren, you know that we were never-"

The girl who I now know to be named Lauren bursts into tears and runs out of the house sobbing. I give Tobias a death glare.

"Care to explain?" I ask, my voice much steadier than I imagined but my eyes shooting daggers.

"Tris, I didn't want to kiss her! She had a knife, and-"

"Woah. You're seriously going to try and tell me that girl had a_ knife_? Did you see the look on her face? That's not something you can fake! She was kissing you and you were kissing her back and she probably thought she was falling in love, and you just broke her heart-" I yell, my voice getting louder and louder until I stop suddenly, realizing that the girl I had just described was pretty much myself. As much as I had refused to admit it, I was falling for Tobias and even though I had just known him for a few weeks, I felt something with him that I never thought I could feel before. And he just broke my heart.

I could stop and cry. I could let him reason with me. I could even accept his apology and hope he was telling the truth. But before my mind even comes up with any of those options, I know what I'm going to do. I walk straight up to Tobias, slap him in the face, and run out of his house leaving him cupping his hand to his cheek in shock.

**Tobias POV:**  
My cheek burns from Tris's slap. The slap itself didn't hurt that much, but the reason behind if is horrifying. She doesn't trust me to enough to know that I would never do anything with any other girl than her, and that stings more than the slap.

I must admit, Lauren did a hell of a job convincing anyone who didn't know her that she was perfectly innocent and not even capable of holding a knife without crying. It was that act that I fell for when we I had dated her back in 9th grade. She went to a different school and we knew each other through our parents, so when I saw her innocent, pretty girl act I immediately saw it as an opportunity to date someone nice. My hopes were quickly crushed when I saw her true psychopathic self, and I've avoided her ever since.

She, on the other hand, was not so ready to let go of our relationship. She would always try to get back with me, but this is the first time she had ever done anything violent like that. I thought it would be safe to kiss her until I came up with a plan, but apparently I was wrong. She blew everything for me and Tris, and it makes me despise her even more. As if she wasn't bad enough already, now she's ruined the one relationship I've ever had that I thought might turn out to be true love.

Before I can really process what I'm doing, I climb into my car and drive. After a moment, I realize where I'm going: to the gym. The gym is where I always go when I need to blow off some steam, and now is one of those times. I glance down at my clothes. Sweatpants and a t-shirt. I hadn't changed for me and Tris's date when Lauren had arrived, so I was still in the clothes I had slept in. These are fine for working out, though. Even if they weren't, I'm not going back to my house until I cool down some. When I get to the gym, I go straight for the punching bag and turn my music up.

_I remembered black skies  
The lightning all around me  
I remembered each flash  
As time began to blur  
Like a startling sign  
That fate had finally found me  
And your voice was all I heard  
That I get what I deserve_

I grit my teeth as I feel my knuckles split. Usually, I would have on some type of gloves, but since coming here was a sort of a snap decision, I didn't think to bring any with me.

_So give me reason  
To prove me wrong  
To wash this memory clean  
Let the thoughts cross  
The distance in your eyes  
Give me reason  
To fill this hole  
Connect this space between  
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies  
Across this new divide_

Ignoring the fact that my knuckles are bleeding worse with every punch I throw at the bag, I hit as hard the bag as hard as I can. I let Tris walk out. I should've stopped her.

_There was nothing inside  
But memories left abandoned  
There was nowhere to hide  
The ashes fell like snow  
And the ground caved in  
Between where we were standing  
And your voice was all I heard  
That I get what I deserve_

My knuckles are covered in blood by the time the song is over and I realize that the next song won't play unless I click on a new song. I scroll through my music until I find the song that I'm looking for.

_When you are with me, I'm free_  
_I'm careless, I believe_  
_Above all others we'll fly_  
_This brings tears to my eyes_  
_Cause when you are with me, I'm free_  
_I'm careless, I believe_  
_Above all others we'll fly_  
_This brings tears to my eyes_  
_My sacrifice, my sacrifice_

I stop punching and put my head in my hands, not caring about the odd looks I'm getting for the people around me. I realize that this is how things are going to turn out with me and Tris unless I fix this. I can't let that happen.

**Tris POV:**

I storm out of Tobias's house and run to mine. I race up the steps and slam the door behind me. I lean back against the door and sink to my knees. A small sob escapes my throat before I can stifle it with my hand. Tears are steadily streaming down my face.

I knew he didn't love me. How could I be so stupid?! I've only known him for a few weeks and I let him use me. I can't believe, after everything he told me, that he would cheat on me with that slut.

I quickly wipe off my cheeks and stand. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I walk to the bathroom. I stare into the mirror and can't help but think, _"Look at you. You're hideous. Too long nose, too wide eyes. Dull hair, lifeless eyes. No wonder he cheated on you. You are nothing compared to Lauren. He's way out of your league. You're worthless."_

I can feel the tears flood into my eyes again and I rub my eyes with my fists until I'm sure I won't start crying again. I look back up at my reflection and see that my mascara and eye liner are smudged across my face. I look like a raccoon. _A worthless, ugly raccoon that just got played by someone out of her league._ I walk into my room and pull on a black sweatshirt and Converse. I grab my headphones and walk out of my house. I start to blast music, just like I do every time I need to clear my head, and walk down the sidewalk. I groan as I hear Katy Perry's voice, but I don't change the song. It'll be over in a couple minutes anyways.

_I'm wide awake  
I'm wide awake_

_I'm wide awake_  
_Yeah, I was in the dark_  
_I was falling hard_  
_With an open heart_  
_I'm wide awake_  
_How did I read the stars so wrong?_  
_I'm wide awake_  
_And now it's clear to me_  
_That everything you see_  
_Ain't always what it seems_  
_I'm wide awake_  
_Yeah, I was dreaming for so long_

I can't believe that I ignored the fact that someone like Tobias would ever pick someone like me. I was never good enough for him.

_I wish I knew then  
What I know now  
Wouldn't dive in  
Wouldn't bow down  
Gravity hurts  
You made it so sweet  
'Til I woke up on  
On the concrete_

I could practically feel my heart shattering, as weird as it sounds. I just…I didn't realize how much I loved him. I feel so stupid!

_Falling from cloud nine  
Crashing from the high  
I'm letting go tonight  
Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine_

_I wish I knew then_  
_What I know now_  
_Wouldn't dive in_  
_Wouldn't bow down_  
_Gravity hurts_  
_You made it so sweet_  
_'Til I woke up on_  
_On the concrete_

I'm such an idiot. Of course Tobias was too good for me. Of course he didn't like me. Of course he would cheat on me. Of course he would. I didn't deserve him.

_Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine (it was out of the blue)  
I'm crashing from the high  
You know I'm letting go tonight (yeah, I'm letting you go)  
I'm falling from cloud nine_

_I'm wide awake_  
_I'm wide awake_  
_I'm wide awake_  
_I'm wide awake_  
_I'm wide awake_

I bump into someone and look up. "Oh s-Eric." Eric is looking down at me, grinning.

"Hey Tris," he says. The smile on his face grows and his piercings stretch out across his mouth. I cringe.

"Eric," I nod my head slightly. "If you'll excuse me-"

"Oh no," he grabs my arm, skimming my chest, as I try to pass him. "I'm not letting you get away so easily. Not again."

I freeze. I'm alone on a street that I never even knew existed with Eric. His smile grows even more. His other hand reaches toward my chest and he…_feels_ me. I scream but he covers my mouth, now he has one hand _on_ me and one covering my mouth. I struggle and pull away from his grasp. I turn to run, but Eric grabs my shoulders and pulls me back against him. I struggle again but his grip only tightens. He squeezes my shoulders so hard that I'm sure that I'll have bruises.

Eric pulls me into a nearby alley, how convenient, and throws me against a wall. I hit my elbow on the wall and feel immediate pain shoot up my arm. I begin to slide down the wall but Eric grabs me be the throat and pulls me up, choking me. Eric pushes himself against me, grabbing my wrists and pulling my arms above my head. I'm trapped. He leans in and smashes his cracked lips on mine. I feel like I'm going to vomit.

He takes both of my small wrists in his large, oversized hand and tightens his grip so hard and my wrists feel like they're literally breaking. But right now, that's the least of my worries. Eric begins to molest me. I scream again but he pushes his lips harder onto mine, so hard that my teeth hurt. Eric's hand starts to slide under my sweatshirt and crop top and up my body. I shudder in fear as he nears my bra. Just as he gets within an inch or two of my bra, I scream hoping to draw attention to myself.

"God Tris, why do you have to be so _Stiff?_" Eric groans. I see him reach around to his back pocket and pull out a rag. Eric presses the rag up to my face and I immediately feel dizzy. Before I pass out, I hear footsteps.

xXx

I wake up in a hospital room. I look around the sterile white room and see someone sitting next to me. My vision is so blurry and I try to rub my eyes but when I even slightly lift my arms, I feel intense pain and someone lightly pushes my arms back down. My elbow is covered in bandages along with my wrists. I can't move my neck.

"Whoa Tris, go easy for a bit," I hear...Uriah say. Uriah?

"What happened?" My voice sounds like a croak coming from my dry throat. I try to clear my throat, but it feels like it's on fire.

"Don't talk, Tris, you got hurt pretty bad." Uriah says. "Eric jumped you when you were out by yourself. You've got a shattered elbow, bruised neck and vocal cords, bruised shoulders, and broken wrists. He also, uh, molested you. And knocked you out with chloroform. That's when I got there. I punched him, a lot, and called the cops. An ambulance brought you here a couple hours ago. Our friends should be here any minute.

As if on cue, my hospital room bursts open.

**A/N: Knifezilla. Oh yes. The songs in this chapter are Wide Awake by Katy Perry, New Divide by Linkin Park, and My Sacrifice by Creed. So you may or may not be wondering why we have so much music in this fanfic. Well, music is a big part of my life, as well as DauntlessFlames46's life. Music has helped me get through a lot of crap from a lot of people that I had to face as a kid and still face. Now, please know that I'm not looking for pity or anything; it's just the reason why. Thank you guys, ALL OF YOU GUYS, for reading and reviewing and favoriting and following! You guys are the reason we write. And sorry for the long author's note… Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: SORRY GUYS, I POSTED THE WRONG DOCUMENT. Here's the correct one. Hey guys! I know, I know. We took a while to update. But here it is! We hope you guys love it and please review when you're done! See you at the bottom. **

_"Don't talk, Tris, you got hurt pretty bad." Uriah says. "Eric jumped you when you were out by yourself. You've got a shattered elbow, bruised neck and vocal cords, bruised shoulders, and broken wrists. He also, uh, molested you. And knocked you out with chloroform. That's when I got there. I punched him, a lot, and called the cops. An ambulance brought you here a couple hours ago. Our friends should be here any minute._

_As if on cue, my hospital room bursts open._

**Tris POV:**

"Oh my god! Tris!" Christina screeches, being the first of my friends to sprint in. Marlene, Shauna, and Zeke burst in right afterwards.

"We heard what happened," Marlene whispers, rushing to sit by the side of my bed.

"I'm so sorry," Shauna tells me, pity in her eyes as she kneels down next to Marlene. God, I hate pity.

Zeke leans against the doorway and looks at me skeptically. I'm glad he isn't looking at me like I've just come to a near death experience like everyone else is. I mean, yeah, I did just get hurt pretty bad, but the looks they're giving me are driving me insane.

"Tris, you can't just go walking outside alone like that! Both times you've done this have resulted in you getting-" Zeke starts, but Shauna shoots him a glare that cuts him off.

"Are you okay, Tris?" Christina asks quietly after a moment.

'Do I look okay to you?' I want to ask, but my damaged vocal chords prevent that from happening.

"Oh, here," Uriah says. "I got you this so you could write down what you wanted to say." He hands me a dry erase board and I look at him thankfully. The moment the cap is off the marker, I am bombarded with questions. Zeke, thankfully, calms everybody down.

"Guys, Tris is experiencing enough right now without being interrogated. At least ask one at a time." he says, chuckling a little.

I give Zeke a small smile and look to Christina to ask the first question. She looks like she's about to cry; I mentally groan at how over dramatic she's being at this whole thing. "Uriah told us about what happened and I'm so sorry. Eric is... I can't even describe my hatred for him. So, I guess, what I'm wondering is are you okay... emotionally... after that?"

I am slightly taken aback by her question. When I thought about the damage I received from Eric's attack, emotional stability didn't even occur to me. Why should it? If I just don't let anything get to me then I'll stay safe. Right? Besides, I wasn't even awake while most of it happened.

"I guess I'm okay, just a little shocked," I write on the whiteboard.

Christina purses her lips, the sadness still showing in her eyes. I don't think she believes me. She shrinks back a little and looks at Marlene.

"What hurts the most?" Marlene asks.

I write down, "Throat." My vocal chords feel like they're on fire. I look over to Shauna.

"Oh, uh, what happened? With you and Four I mean." she asks.

I close my eyes; tears threaten to spill down my face. I take in a shallow breath and open my eyes.

I begin to write. "I caught him making out with some skank. Lauren I think. He said that she threatened him with a knife. She looked heartbroken. I left and went for a walk to clear my mind. You know the rest."

Zeke looks furious. Christina looks down and rubs her temples and Uriah's jaw drops. Marlene is the first to speak. "I just can't believe he would do something like that."

"I know Four. He would never cheat, especially not on you," Zeke says. Christina glares at him.

"Are you saying that you don't believe her?" Christina snaps.

"No, no that's not what I'm saying. I'm just...shocked," Zeke says. "Four and I have been best friends since we were little and he was always a sort of a player, but I never thought he would cheat. He just wouldn't, okay?"

I sigh and look down at my board, wanting to say something but not really knowing what to say. Just as Shauna opens her mouth to speak, Noah bursts through the doorway. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to get here, Tris, I couldn't get off work early. Are you okay?"

I start to take the cap off my dry-erase marker to write down what happened but Christina speaks up for me. She tells Noah of the injuries I've acquired and a brief explanation of what happened. Noah gapes and I purse my lips, not really sure what to say-er-write. "I'm so sorry, Tris, is there anything I can do to help?" he asks, concern in his eyes.

I shake my head no and he tilts his head slightly to the side, worry coating his features. I shift a little in my bed and six sets of hands reach out at me. "Don't move!" everybody yells.

I glare at them all. I should be able to at least move if I want to.

"Don't you look at us like that, we have your best interests in mind," Christina says firmly.

I roll my eyes and shift a little anyways, earning a look that is somewhere between worried and frustrated from everybody in the room. My eyes meet Noah's and I don't look away. His eyes furrow and he asks, "What's wrong Tris?"

I quickly write down, "I have to pee so bad, you have no idea."

Noah retrieves the whiteboard from me and reads it out loud, "I have to pee so bad, you have no idea." The entire group starts laughing. Noah hands me back the dry-erase board.

"We better call in a nurse," Marlene laughs.

"Wait!" I scribble down.

"Yeah?" Zeke asks.

"Christina – when is Will coming back?"I write. Christina smiles widely.

"Tomorrow," she grins. "Now let's call that nurse."

After a tedious half an hour of careful shuffling to the restroom in the room with a nurse named Cindy, I'm back to sitting in my bed watching the clock. The seconds seem to tick by slower and slower as I stare. I suddenly remember that I have my phone and headphones with me and buzz a nurse. Cindy shows up minutes later.

"What do you need, sweetie?" she asks.

I grab my whiteboard and write down that my phone and headphones should be in my jean pocket and if she could get them for me. Cindy nods and rushes over to my pile of normal clothes. After locating my jeans and fishing through the pockets, she finds my phone. Cindy makes her way over to me and untangles my headphones for me. I realize that I can't put in the headphones myself. Cindy seems to read my mind and slips the buds into my ears. I give her a thankful look and she nods her head. She slides my phone into my head and just as she's about to leave, she stops and faces me.

"Trust the boy, hun. Oh, and that Uriah kid is cute," she says and then slips out of my room. I roll my eyes and smile a little, ignoring the comment about Tobias, and carefully turn on some music.

**Tobias POV:**

I walk out of the gym and start to drive home from the gym after being kicked out. Too much blood on the punching bag, I guess. I tune the radio to a random station and Guns 'n' Roses blasts through my old car radio. Despite my bloody knuckles, I begin to drum the beat on the steering wheel as I drive.

_She's got a smile that it seems to me  
Reminds me of childhood memories  
Where everything  
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky  
Now and then when I see her face  
She takes me away to that  
special place  
And if I stared too long  
I'd probably break down and cry_

_Sweet child o' mine  
Sweet love of mine_

I have to get Tris to believe me. I don't know how, but I have to. I just…I think I love her. I can't lose her.

_She's got eyes of the bluest skies  
As if they thought of rain  
I hate to look into those eyes  
And see an ounce of pain  
Her hair reminds me  
of a warm safe place  
Where as a child I'd hide  
And pray for the thunder  
And the rain  
To quietly pass me by_

Sweet child o' mine  
Sweet love of mine

I remember just a few days ago when I showed Tris my hiding spot on the cliff. The sunset was nothing compared to her. Her eyes were so stern, so insistent. Beautiful.

_Where do we go_  
_Where do we go now_  
_Where do we go_  
_Sweet child o' mine_

Where do we go now? I don't know. I drive around the corner and see my house. On fire. Black smoke pours out of my house and I pull in across the street and dial 9-1-1.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?" the operator says.

"My house is on fire," I say in a panicked voice. "It's 106 Shelter Cove Drive."

"Sir, we're sending help right now. Is there anyone inside?" the operator asks.

"Oh shit, yes. My father. Oh god, he's probably surrounded by alcohol," I say into the phone as I watch the flames grow higher. I begin to rub my temples with my free hand. I can't go in there. I can't save him. _Good._ A few neighbors come out of their houses and stand shocked on their porches.

"We're sending help right away, sir. We'll get him out. Stay on the phone with me until they arrive, okay? My name is Katherine." Katherine says. The flames are bright orange and black smoke pours heavily out of the windows. I pull my shirt over my mouth and nose to filter out some of the smoke. The roof is starting to cave in.

"I'm uh, Four." I say, still panicked. I am, after all, watching my house burn down.

"Four? Like the number?" Katherine asks.

"Yes like the number. I had glasses growing up." I answer.

"Oh," she says. I hear the sirens in the distance.

"They're almost here." I say. The first fire truck rounds the edge of the block.

"All right, sir. Good luck." Katherine says. I hang up the phone and watch helplessly as three more fire trucks arrive and start to hook up the hoses. I fireman approaches me.

"Sir, it isn't safe. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." he says authoritatively.

"I live there! My dad's in there!" I start to yell at the fireman.

"We'll get him out if we can. You need to calm down, sir." he says. I become frustrated and push my way past the fireman. I run around to the back of my house. The flames aren't nearly as bad in my room. I run up the porch and force my way in through the doors. I quickly scan my room and grab it from under my bed. My blue glass sculpture that my mother gave me before she died. She warned me to never let my father see it because he would break it or throw it out.

The smoke is starting to make my vision blurry and I feel light headed. I press on further into my house. My eyes begin to water and I start choking on the air. I scan the burning kitchen. Not there. I race through the living room. Still no. There's only one other place he can be. The ceiling over the kitchen collapses. I can't see more than three feet in front of me. I am so dizzy that I can barely walk. The flames around me continue to grow. I stumble through the living room. I hear loud crack and a piece of the ceiling falls and hits my arm. I yell out in pain and quickly pull of my shirt to smother my burning arm. The living room will collapse any second. I don't have time to waste. I approach the door to my father's room and force open the door. I see him in the corner, unconscious, near a window. The rest of the room is surrounded in flames. I run over to my horrible excuse of a father and throw his limb body over my shoulders. I grab the lamp off of the nightstand and throw it at the window. A sudden flow of air rushes into the room. I jump out of the window before the house explodes.

**Tris POV:**

I barely hear Bruno Mars' voice and turn up the volume, drowning out the world.

_Easy come, easy go  
That's just how you live, oh  
Take, take, take it all  
But you never give  
Should've known you was trouble  
From the first kiss  
Had your eyes wide open  
Why were they open?_

Cindy told me to trust him. My friends told me to trust him. I don't know. I don't know.

_Gave you all I had  
And you tossed it in the trash  
You tossed it in the trash, you did  
To give me all your love is all I ever asked  
'Cause what you don't understand is..._

I should've known better than to think a guy like him was into someone like me. He's way out of my league. I just don't know. I change the song.

_Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa.  
Oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, whoa._

_B-B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark, dark_  
_Can't be sure when they've hit their mark_  
_And besides in the mean, mean time_  
_I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart_

_I'm in the de-details with the devil_  
_So now the world can never get me on my level_  
_I just gotta get you off the cage_  
_I'm a young lover's rage_  
_Gonna need a spark to ignite_

I can't tell what I want more: to never have walked in to Tobias's house or to have never walked out. Should I trust him? I don't know. I need to talk to him.

_All the writers keep writing what they write  
Somewhere another pretty vein just dies  
I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see  
That you're the antidote to everything except for me, me_

_A constellation of tears on your lashes_  
_Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes_  
_In the end everything collides_  
_My childhood spat back out the monster that you see_

_My songs know what you did in the dark_

_So light 'em up, up, up_  
_Light 'em up, up, up_  
_Light 'em up, up, up_  
_I'm on fire_

I have to talk to him. Soon. I just need to find out where he is… I pause the song and decide to text Tobias. It's a risk but I need to talk to him.

_Tris: Hey it's me where are you?_

As soon as I hit send, I see Uriah walk into my room. Following him is Marlene, Shauna, Christina, Zeke, and Noah.

"We thought we'd keep you company," Christina says. She sits down on my bed and lays down next to me. The look on everyone's face is priceless.

"Christina, you really shouldn't lay other people's hospital beds," Someone, a young man about our age, says while leaning against my door frame.

"Will!" Christina shrieks.

**Tobias POV:**

I wake up in a bright white hallway. I'm moving. I look around me and see about people dressed in scrubs pushing the stretcher I'm on through a hospital. My vision is so blurry that the mass of people surrounding me all blend in together.

"Heart rate is 130/100 and rising, doctor," the nurse in blue scrubs says quickly.

"He's waking up," another says. My vision begins to go dark around the edges and I slip back into unconsciousness.

**Lauren POV:**

I stare at myself in the mirror, frantically running my hands through my frazzled hair repeatedly. For the first time, I feel guilty for something I've done. Knots are forming in my stomach and I wrap my arms around myself to try to stop this foreign feeling. Usually, I do whatever I want to whoever I want whenever I feel like it, but something about this is different. The look in his eyes and the look in her eyes... it wasn't at all what I expected. And it makes me feel... bad. I cringe a little at the thought, but the guilty feeling soon consumes me again.

I stop running my hands through my hair for a moment to really look at myself. Is this really who I want to become? A bitch who ruins relationships for no reason? It's not like me ruining Four's relationship with Tris is going to make me any closer to him; if anything, it'll get me farther away from him. Why should I destroy something he's clearly happy with?

I gulp and shake my head, slowly at first, then faster and faster until I'm sure I'll give myself whiplash if I continue. I feel like a psychopath. I think I am. What kind of normal person would go around doing the things I do? I'm a psychopath. I know I am.

I can't be.

I have to fix this. Even if it's just to prove my own self wrong, this needs to be fixed. Without really thinking, I run our of my house to my car, starting the engine. Tris should be somewhere nearby; I think I saw her walking after I left Four's house. I'll just drive around until I see her.

After driving up and down the nearby streets for a little while, I see an ambulance go by and immediately get a bad feeling in my stomach. Something tells me that this has something to do with me... Oh my god. If that was Tris and she got hurt because she went out alone, I don't think I could ever forgive myself. I need to find her. My next stop is the hospital.

When I get to the hospital, I go to the front desk. "Tris, uh," I start, realizing that I don't know her last name. The only way I know her first name is because I heard Four say it. It kind of sounds like a nickname and with no last name I have no chance of getting to her. The receptionist gives me a look._ What could Tris be short for?_ "Beatrice!" I say finally.

"Prior? Beatrice Prior?" the receptionist behind the desk asks.

"Uh, yeah," I tell her, not really sure if that's it or not. Oh well, if it isn't her then I'll know she's safe at least.

The lady gives me the room number and I remember to thank her just before I rush off to find Tris. I don't even bother knocking, I just open the door and rush in. Tris looks shocked and so does everybody else she's with. Shit, it was her. A fresh wave of guilt passes through me.

Tris writes something on her board and holds it up. It says, "Lauren?"

**Tris POV:**

The second I hold up the board with Lauren's name on it, everyone in the room blows up. My friends surround her, screaming and Lauren just shrinks back. After a moment, the yelling ceases. My friends look at Lauren, obviously surprised by what they see. She's not fighting back, which surprises me as well. After a moment, she speaks. "Can I talk to you alone, Tris?"

I'm about to answer when Uriah does it for me. "Don't even think about it. You are never going near her."

I glare at Uriah and write down a yes on my board to show it to Lauren. My friends look at me like I've lost my mind but leave after a moment, causing me and Lauren to be alone in the hospital room. Just like she wanted. Just like I agreed to.

She opens her mouth to speak and I prepare myself for the worst. "I wanted to come here to apologize," she starts. _What? _"What I did was wrong. Very wrong. Four and I aren't actually in a relationship; he was telling the truth. I had a knife. I threatened him. I was jealous. I was wrong. I'm sorry." Lauren speaks in short sentences, as if she's still figuring things out for herself. I'm speechless, not that I could talk even if I did have something to say.

I take out the white board and ask why she did it.

"I was jealous. And when I get jealous, I get... horrible. That's the best way to describe it."

I just can't believe this. It means that Tobias wasn't lying! I need to fix things with him now; I feel horrible for not believing him in the first place. I write on the board, "I accept your apology. I'm pissed, but I accept your apology."

Lauren looks relieved. An awkward silence passes before she finally speaks again. "I'm just gonna, uh, go now. Get well soon."

The moment Lauren leaves, everybody else files back in. _Can't I just get some time alone?_ Apparently not because I'm asked more questions than the first time.

"What did she want?" Christina yells.

"Did she threaten you?" Zeke asks, frantically.

"What did you say?" Noah asks, slightly more calm then everyone else.

This time, it's Will who calms everybody down. "Guys, chill out. Tris, Christina told me basically every detail of your life in the hallway. So, first of all, nice to meet you. Second of all, what did that whore want?"

I write down what happened on the whiteboard and everybody is shocked. When everyone's done reading, I erase the board and write, "So where's Four?"

As if on cue, a stretcher wheels by and I can just make out the figure on top of it.

_Tobias_.

**A/N: Don't you just hate cliffhangers? Please review guys! It means so much. And if you're fanfiction surfing, you can check out our accounts iDivergence and DauntlessFlames46 for two AMAZING fanfics! LOVE YOU GUYS.**

**~DauntlessDuo**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys. Well it certainly been a while... A month. We are so sorry. I, iDivergence, have been slammed with school tests, quizzes, etc. DauntlessFlames46 has also been slammed with paper after paper after paper and has not been able to write anything else.**

**Okay. Here's something you might not know. Those who follow The Way It's Supposed to Be know that I, iDivergence, struggle with self-harm. Something you might not know is that DauntlessFlames46 does as well. We have both been clean for 11 days after abusing blades. Sorry for not telling you guys earlier, but this was also a contributing factor to us not being able to write and you guys deserve to know. While battling our own demons, we haven't been able to pull ourselves together to write. I'm sorry.**

**Once we get back on track, we hope that this story will take off and grow to become a great piece of literature for y'all. **

**We really do love each one of you and if any of you need to talk, PM either of us. We will gladly talk and do our best to help you in any way we can. **

**LOVE YOU GUYS.**

**~DauntlesDuo**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's an easy, painless chapter for y'all. It's a bit shorter than usual, but an update nonetheless. PLEASE REVIEW AND ENJOY! See you at the bottom.**

**Tris POV:**

It takes a moment before I can even attempt to gather my thoughts together. What is Tobias doing here on a _stretcher_? He looked like he was in pretty bad shape. My friends are talking to me but I'm not listening. Once I get my mind to process what's going on, I bolt upright and swing my legs over the side of the bed. An immediate rush of pain run through my upper body and I let out a strangled gasp. I ignore the scorching pain and rip out the wires holding me back and try to stand.

_I need to get to him._

The protests of my friends barely reach my ears as my desperation to get to Tobias increases. Seven pairs of hands grab me and drag me back onto my bed. I wince under their touch and glare at them afterwards.

"Sorry, Tris, you can't get up no matter how much you want to see Four," Marlene says as I see Christina press the button to call the nurse. Cindy comes in and must notice my frazzled demeanor.

"What happened? Why was she up?" Cindy asks, flustered, as she reinserts the cords and wires that I ripped out of my body. My wrist stars to bleed from the IV being torn out. Oops.

"What happened to the boy who just got wheeled by?" Shauna asks for me. Well, for all of us really. I'm not the only one that's worried about Tobias.

"Uh, which one was that? Brown hair, blue eyes-" Cindy starts, still occupied by wires.

"Yes," Zeke interrupts quickly.

"Oh. Well I haven't heard much about him, but from what I understand he was in a house fire and is in pretty bad shape. He saved a life," she says quickly.

I feel my eyes widen and it takes all the control I have not to scream or ask questions or just say anything in general. but all I can do is write on that white board, "When can I see him?"

Cindy looks a little taken aback by my question. Then realization crosses her face. "That was the boy you were talking about earlier," she says quietly.

I nod and she purses her lips, looking like she wants to say something but can't quite get it out. "I'm not sure if you can see him, I'll have to check with his doctors. I'll do what I can, though," Cindy says.

I adjust my position slightly out of impatience, frustration, and discomfort. I need to see him and I need to see him now. Cindy looks at me with sadness in her eyes and I clench and unclench my fists by my side. "I'll be back as soon as I can with more information," she tells me and I nod tightly.

It's silent for a moment when Cindy leaves, then Marlene finally speaks up. "I hope he's okay," she whispers. Zeke stands up abruptly. "I'm not going to just sit here and wait for her to come back, I'm going to find out more about this myself," he mutters.

"Zeke, wait!" Uriah calls, glancing between Zeke and I. "Tris can't-"

"I know Tris can't do anything right now but this will help us find out faster and I'm not going to just sit here. I can't just sit here while my best friend could be dying..."

I close my eyes quickly and clench my fists.

"Sorry," Zeke says quietly. "but I still need to find out more."

"If you're going, then so am I," Uriah says and stands up.

"No, stay with Tris. She needs at least one of the gorgeous twins of hotness to keep her occupied," Zeke winks. I roll my eyes but am kind of grateful that Uriah's staying. He should be able help the time pass a little faster.

Shauna stands up. "Well then I'm helping. You might not be able to get to him and I want to be there to help," she says. Zeke starts to object but Shauna quickly adds, "We'll be back soon."

After Shauna and Zeke leave, Marlene moves over to where Shauna was sitting and Christina begins to pace. I dig my fingernails into my skin to distract myself. I want to scream at Christina to stop pacing because it's annoying the hell out of me, but Will grabs her hand and starts to rub her shoulders before I get the chance. I glance over at Noah who hasn't said a whole word this whole time. He's sitting in a chair in the corner with his hands clasped together on his lap. I wonder what's going through his mind right now.

Uriah turns to look at me. His voice sounds strained. "Isn't kind of weird how you two got into a fight then got hurt right afterwards? I mean, it's like you two do everything the same."

I glare at him. As if I need to be reminded that Tobias getting hurt could have something to do with our fight. Everybody else in the room gives him a look similar to mine.

"Sorry, just trying to say something to make things less awkward," Uriah says.

"Not the right thing to say, dude," Will says. Uriah shrugs and goes back to leaning against the doorway silently. The fact that even Uriah can't erase the feeling of dread in the room worries me. Him and Zeke can usually cheer up any situation, so when even he's too worried to say anything isn't a good sign.

I shift a little in my bed and all eyes dart to me. I roll my eyes and write on my whiteboard, "I'm not going to try to run out again, you don't need to watch me like a hawk."

"We can never tell with you, Tris. You're desperate to see him and it's not like you back down when you want something," Christina says.

That's true, it's not in my nature to just give up like this. But I didn't give up, I'm just being patient while I wait for more information. If I'm not allowed to see Tobias, I'm not going to sit here like I am now. I will find a way to see him, whether I'm technically able to or not.

"Tris?" Will says. I look over at him and raise my eyebrows slightly. "For what I know about you so far, you seem like a badass. You are Four are really, honestly perfect for each other. You guys will work this out."

I nod and smile slightly. I lazily grab my whiteboard off of the table near me, dropping the marker in the process. Before I can reach down and get it, Noah jumps up from his chair and almost dives across the room to get it.

"Please. Your entire upper body is injured. Like I would just let you bend down and grab something." he says, smiling a little. He hands me the marker and I nod in thanks.

I scribble down, "Thank you Will. I just...have this need to be near him. You know?"

"Yeah," Will says. "I get that. I was like that when I was on vacation."

Christina turns and grins at Will, "Aw, babe. I missed you, too." She gives him a kiss on the cheek and turns, putting his hands on her shoulders as if insisting that he continues massaging her shoulders. Will rolls his eyes and smiles as he begins to rub.

"The cops are supposed to show up today. To interview Tris and I about what happened," Uriah says. "Apparently Eric ran off before they got there. Tris?" I raise my eyebrows at him. "Are you going to be okay? Talking about it?"

I don't respond right away. Would I be okay talking -or writing- about it again? I mean, right after it happened, I was numb to it. But now... I don't really know.

"I don't know," I write. "I mean, I'll do my best."

Uriah nods and settles back into his chair. Marlene speaks quietly, "You know when he finds out, he's going to be pissed."

Noah laughs a little, "He'll be more than pissed. Four is going to try and kill Eric if he can get his hands on him."

I smile a little, but then frown slightly. Noah's right. Tobias is going to be furious. I'm not sure if I can talk him down and honestly, I'm not sure if I really want to.

**Tobias POV:**

When I finally come to my senses again, my first thought is Tris. My second thought is _oh god that hurt._ I should be worrying about my father, or about myself, but Tris is the first thing that comes to my mind.

_I've only known the girl for a few weeks and I care this much. What's wrong with me?_

"You're in love," someone says. My head shoots up and I see a pretty young nurse in my doorway.

"Excuse me?" I ask after a moment, my voice coming out hoarse. I start coughing uncontrollably; something isn't right with my lungs.

"You should learn to keep your thoughts in your head; you said that out loud. You're in love, sweetie," the nurse says, smiling a little.

I furrow my eyebrows and give the nurse a look. "Who are you?"

"I'm Cindy, a nurse in the hospital. Ah, so you're the young man Tris is so taken by," she says. "I'm her nurse."

"Tris is here? What do you know about her? What happened? Is she okay?" The questions come pouring out of my mouth.

"Tris is, uh, doing better. She had a run-in with an unknown suspect or suspects and she was injured severely, but she's doing better. She will be interviewed by the police later today," Cindy says carefully, watching my reaction closely. I cover my face in my hands, which are the only things not covered in gauze. I look down and see my legs wrap in sterile, white bandages. Multiple wires are connected to by body, making moving difficult.

"Do you know anything else?" I ask, my rough hands muffling my weak voice.

"Not much. There's a lot of kids in her room, though. She can't speak yet and she isn't allowed to move without assistance. She got beat up pretty good and there's talk of molestation," Cindy says.

Before I can think again, I'm trying to untangle myself from the wires I'm attached to. I need to get to her. I try to sit up but am quickly pulled back down. I rip off my blanket and see a clear tube connected to my side. "_Four! _Do _not _get out of that hospital bed!" I hear Zeke yell.

I stop for a moment and glance up, seeing Shauna and Zeke are out of breath at the door. Shauna speaks, her voice firm and low, "You are not allowed to leave that bed."

"I need to see Tris; I have to get to her," I tell them hoarsely, trying to stay calm.

"You can see her eventually. Not yet. You both are in rough shape, and neither of you are leaving your hospital beds yet," Zeke tells me.

"I don't care how bad my injuries are, I _have _to see Tris," I say, using the voice I usually use when I threaten people. I've never had to speak like this to Zeke, but this is urgent. I am not backing down.

"She's fine, Four, she's doing better. Trust me," Shauna says gently.

"You two can see each other soon," Zeke says, adopting Shauna's tender tone.

I hate this. They're treating like I'm a wild animal that could snap at any moment and needs careful handling. Then again, maybe that's how I am right now. Even if it is, I don't like the way they're talking to me. "Guys, I'm not crazy. Don't talk to me like I could blow up at any moment," I say.

"Sorry, just being careful. Anyway, we think we've figured out a way to get you and Tris able to see each other soon. When the two of you are able to move without hospital assistance, we can bring your hospital beds into the same room or something. We'll figure something out, I promise. Just wait until you can move without extreme pain, okay?" Shauna says.

I sigh frustratedly. They aren't understanding my urgency. "I need to see her now."

"Soon," Zeke says.

"Now."

"Four. Listen to me. I don't care how in love you are with that girl, you are not leaving this room. Stop acting like a child and get better," Shauna says firmly. Her tone takes me aback, the Shauna I know would never scold someone.

I let out a frustrated sigh and throw my head back on my flimsy hospital pillow.

"What happened to her?" I ask quietly. Cindy leaves the room quietly, knowing this is a private moment, I guess.

Zeke sighs quietly and sits at the bottom of my bed. "She was out walking, like she always does when she's mad. The cops don't know who did it but I'm pretty sure it was Eric. God I hate him. Uri says he saw him choking her and holding up her wrists. The doctors say she was knocked out with chloroform. Her elbow is shattered, her neck, vocal cords, and shoulders are severely bruised, and her wrists are broken. She looks like Hell. So do you."

"I'm going to kill him," I say.

"Four..." Shauna starts.

"No, Shauna. I am going to kill him. Maybe not today or next week or month, but one day I will kill that son of a bitch," I say firmly. She sighs. Cindy walks into my room again.

"Hey..." she checks the chart. "Four? Interesting name. I like it. Anyways, I just got assigned to be your nurse as well as Tris'."

I raise my eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah. This also means that when you're healthy enough, I can get you guys in one room if you want."

"Thank you. So much," I say.

"Also, the man you saved in the fire, Marcus Steven Eaton, is under critical condition. He has been in emergency surgery immediately upon your arrival." Cindy says, reading from her chart. I don't say anything.

"Will he make it?" Shauna asks, realizing that I wasn't going to comment.

"Possibly. There's about a 50/50 chance." Cindy says.

"Oh," is all I say. I decide to change the subject from my lousy excuse of a father. "Cindy, why is there a tube in my side?"

"There was a large build up of ash and liquid in your lungs when you arrived. That tube is going to drain it out." she says.

I look down at the tube, horrified. "You mean that this thing is in my lungs?"

"Yes, so don't mess with it too much. It hurts like Hell if you rip it out and feels no better putting it back in." she says casually. I carefully pull the thin blanket back over me and hold as still as I can.

"Four," Zeke says, laughing. "you look a little stiff."

I glare at him, not seriously but enough to scare him a little. "You would too if you had a giant vacuum connected to you."

"Yeah, yeah whatever," Zeke says. "Get some sleep, Four. Now that you're awake, nurses will be in here constantly poking and prodding at you."

I sigh. I don't want to sleep; I want to see Tris. However, I'm really not in the mood to fight over this. I agree and Cindy hands me a small paper cup of pills.

"Take these," she says.

"What are they?" I ask, suspiciously looking down at the pills.

"Melatonin. It'll help you sleep," Cindy says. I swallow the pills dry and close my eyes. After what seems like an hour, I slip away into a light sleep.

**A/N: This was a non stressful chapter for you guys. Nothing too drastic and nothing too surprising. I wouldn't get used to it if I were you... (HINT, HINT) Love you guys and please review! **

**~DauntlessDuo**


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